National Geographic has released a trailer for their new documentary The Flagmakers and named NBA superstar Giannis Antetekounmp as an executive producer, according to Deadline.
- The Flagmakers is directed by Academy Award winner Cynthia Wade and Sharon Liese.
- The documentary takes viewers inside a factory in Wisconsin that sews and ships five million American flags each year.
- The employees of this factory, which is the country’s largest manufacturer of flags and flagpoles, are Americans of diverse backgrounds joined by immigrants from all around the world.
- The Flagmakers is set to premiere this weekend at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine and will later have a limited qualifying theatrical run in Los Angeles.
- That will then be followed by a festival run and a streaming premiere later this fall.
- In addition to Antetokounmpo, The Flagmakers is executive produced by:
- Carolyn Bernstein
- Ryan Harrington
- Mark Gordon
- Ben Forkner
- Pamela Ryckman
- Sylvia Golden
- Jenna Segal
- Jayne Sherman,
- Deborah C. Van Eck
- The documentary is said to be a strong awards contender.
- Check out the trailer for The Flagmakers below:
What they’re saying:
- Executive producer Giannis Antetokounmpo: “As an immigrant myself, I find this film incredibly personal and a deeply moving testament to those who call this country ‘home.’ Each one of these inspiring individuals have overcome adversity and challenges in their lives and bring those unique experiences and stories as they craft the American flag.”
- Cynthia Wade and Sharon Liese: “When we first walked into this midwestern flag factory staffed by immigrants, refugees and locals, we instantly saw that this would be an ideal setting to explore the layered and deeply-nuanced relationships Americans have to our flag and to our country.”
About The Flagmakers:
- “Ali, a war survivor from Iraq, is learning how to use a sewing machine after arriving in the United States just 90 days prior. Midwestern-born Barb’s genuine friendships with her immigrant co-workers belie her staunchly conservative beliefs. SugarRay, a Black man born and raised in Milwaukee, reflects on his complicated relationship with this country. Each considers: What does the American flag represent in a changing nation and world, and for whom? The Flagmakers is an intimate glimpse into the people whose hands make the most recognizable icon of our country.”