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THE AMERICAN SECTOR Documentary

Description

Following the film, AFI Festivals Senior Programmer Ken Jacobson leads a conversation between filmmakers Courtney Stephens and Pacho Velez.

When the Berlin Wall started to come down in November 1989, it marked a powerful turning point in the history of the Cold War and the prospects for a reunified Germany. It also began a new chapter in the life of the wall itself. Over the years, this powerful symbol of freedom started to migrate, piece-by-piece, to locations throughout the world, its most popular destination being the U.S. For the first few years of the Trump administration, filmmakers Courtney Stephens (MIXED SIGNALS) and Pacho Velez (MANAKAMANA) crisscrossed the country seeking out the new homes for these fragments of history. From museums and public spaces to private homes and corporate retreats (and even behind a Hard Rock Café), the monuments attract the attention — and thoughtful ruminations — of Americans from all walks of life. –Ken Jacobson

Bios

Courtney Stephens is a nonfiction and experimental filmmaker whose work focuses on language and geography. Her films have appeared at the international film festivals of New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, San Francisco and beyond. She was a Fulbright scholar to India and attended the AFI Conservatory.

Pacho Velez directs nonfiction films. His previous features have played at the New York Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and on CNN. His first feature, MANAKAMANA, won a Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival (2013). Pacho received his MFA from CalArts and teaches filmmaking at The New School (NYC).