Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Time: 7:00pm ET
Venue: IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave, NYC
TRT: 93
Director: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar
Producers: Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar, Farihah Zaman
NYC PREMIERE More than 200 years after George Washington describe the United States’ new system of democracy as the last great experiment in promoting human happiness in civil society, filmmakers Steve Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar check up on how that is unfolding for our indivisible Republic. Traversing the nation over a four-year period during the tenure of the nation’s 45th president, Maing and Metzgar observe deep and often fractious conflict among citizens, many of whom hold deeply personal interpretations of the founding fathers’ vision.
Yet through their objective, calm, and even-handed approach, the filmmakers offer a counterpoint to the daily hysteria of public discourse. Each morning marks a new dawn in America, and the great experiment endures—sustained by the optimism, hopes, and dreams of its people. The screening will be followed by an on-stage conversation with filmmakers Stephen Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar.