It’s funny that right after I finished my viewing of The Flagmakers, it appeared on a shortlist for Oscar contention this year for Best Documentary Short Feature. The new film from National Geographic, now on Disney+, has the weight and thought-provocation of most Oscar-worthy fare.
Don’t be fooled, this is not a how-its-made style documentary, but rather an oddly poetic look at one of the most successful manufacturers of American flags – Eder Flag – based out of Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Radica, a sewing manager at the company who immigrated from Serbia over 30 years ago, opens the film by saying “Is today a better day than yesterday?” as we learn all about the staff at Eder Flag, who all come from various parts of the world, including Iraq, Mexico, Algeria, Tanzania and more. Under the guise of literally making the flag, we learn what the flag actually means to them.
While we hear their tales, there is an odd sense of dread coming. Their interviews and talking heads-style narration all are filled with a hope and promise, and anybody who has lived in the United States of America for the last few years or so will likely get a knot in their belly knowing that likely won’t be the case. Take for example, Ali, who immigrated from Baghdad to provide a safer life for himself and his children. He is filled with a sense of optimism at the beginning, but is then the victim of a random attack at a local store simply because he is not from this country. Suddenly, the idea of optimism that the flag he himself made once symbolized starts to fade away.
There are the stories of immigrants, yes, but one of the most compelling stories comes from a Black man, SugarRay, who is in a leadership position at Eder, and is very proud of what he does and the diversity of everyone he works with. However, as we learn early on in the film, much of this documentary was made before and during COVID-19, an era that also played host to headline making tragedies involving George Floyd and Jacob Blake. Blake’s murder hit close to home, as it was in nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin. The most stirring point of all is that SugarRay makes American flags for a living, yet refuses to display one on his own home, saying in the film, “Definitely love this country, you know what I mean? But it don’t always love you back.”
To his point, we also meet Barb, who the film implies to be more Conservative, as she struggles with limited health care. Her condition will inevitably cause her to leave Eder, where she has formed genuine friendships with her diverse immigrant co-workers. At one point, we see her going over test questions about the country’s constitution, likely a citizenship quiz, and her co-workers perform better than the average High School student. It’s a fine example of the discussions brought up by the film, exploring the layers and nuances of those who call America home.
The Flagmakers brings you in with the promise of taking a look at the people who literally construct American flags, but leaves you wondering what actually makes The United States of America. Take a look for yourself, now streaming on Disney+.