A year after the historically divisive 2016 elections, a
new documentary
is challenging Americans to stop blaming others and question how their
own decisions and actions shape the contours of our society and our
country. By asking questions about family, money, religion, civics and
more, the film gets viewers to question whether the divisions in our
society truly stem from group dynamics, or if we're all part of the
problem as individuals.
A
teaser for the film was released today to audiences worldwide.
"The American Question," produced by
Guy Seemann – a political veteran and entrepreneur who's lived all over the world and directed by
James Kicklighter – a
Hollywood filmmaker raised in rural
Georgia,
profiles dozens of Americans from across the political, economic and
social spectrum in search of these answers, going far deeper than just
getting people together to find some superficial common ground.
The film explores this question through the lens of history,
deteriorating civic education and evolving culture rather than rehashing
the 2016 election. After conducting dozens of interviews of people from
different walks of life all across the country, the creators believe
something much bigger is at work, and that it has the potential to
threaten the status of America as a superpower.
"We found that our divides had nothing to do with the election,"
Seemann said. "Fights spring up over core values which are supposed to
unite us as a nation. Religion, speech, equality, opportunity -- these
concepts kept coming up over and over again."
"This is a unique period in time, but the identity crisis we're
feeling is part of a cyclical pattern in this country. After our nation
unites to defeat a common enemy – the imperial British, slavery and
secession or the Nazis, we tend to lose our cohesiveness. This time,
though, we have to address this issue or our status as a cohesive entity
– let alone a superpower – is under threat," he added.
Kicklighter continued, "there's a set of values that define what it
means to be an American. I heard people from all corners of the country
saying the other side did not have their interests in mind. A
fascinating pattern unfolded about the broader culture here, and we are
trying to figure out what's causing it and what it means."
"What's dangerous is when someone comes to a different set of
conclusions based on their ideological perspective and pegs the other as
an enemy simply because the other doesn't agree with their
individualized ideology," Kicklighter said. "I hope The American
Question helps people recognize that their neighbor is as American as
they are. That's the starting point we need to get to," he said.
With entire communities in crisis due to this breakdown over
America's core values, the filmmakers are looking to spark a national
conversation to encourage viewers to rethink how they themselves
approach their own life decisions as well as their perceived differences
with their neighbors. Seemann, Kicklighter and their national team want
to enable them to reconcile over the shared values laid out in the
founding documents which have helped the country overcome adversity
since its founding.
