REVIEW: ‘Capturing the Flag’ at Margaret Mead Film Festival

Photo: Laverne Berry is featured in Capturing the Flag, a documentary in which she also serves as producer. Photo courtesy of Margaret Mead Film Festival / Provided with permission.

Capturing the Flag, the new documentary from director Anne de Mare, is an inspiring and thoughtful look at a team of voting rights’ advocates who head from New York City to North Carolina to monitor the polls during the 2016 presidential election. They stand outside electoral stations and offer their legal advice to any voter who may have been turned away or given the wrong answer on the inside.

Their presence in North Carolina was directly connected to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2013 that struck down a provision of the Voting Rights Act from the 1960s. American voters have continually faced uphill battles on ensuring their vote is counted on Election Day, and these advocates dedicate their lives to keeping the “one person, one vote” practice intact.

The real-life characters of Laverne, Steve, Claire and Trista are upset over the loss of Hillary Clinton and the win of Donald Trump. Their personal politics are evident when they attend a campaign rally with then-President Barack Obama, and later when they are brought to tears as the election results come in.

However, these advocates are truly nonpartisan in their work on voters’ rights. They don’t wave campaign literature outside the polls or push one candidate over another. They merely hold a sign that asks voters to come up to them for help. Time and time again, they tell the camera that their actions are meant to help all voters, no matter what party they are affiliated with or what candidate they support.

In this nonpartisan, but still passionate, manner, the four subjects of Capturing the Flag come off as heroic and resilient in their dedication to the values of democracy. So many people, on both sides of the partisan fence, get sucked into the draining drama of cable news and the constant bickering back and forth over this and that. These four people have taken their respect for voting to the next level and civically become engaged with the process. They have learned the legal ins and outs of voting law, and they offer their help, seemingly without being paid, for everyone who might seek it.

Capturing the Flag, which will play New York City’s Margaret Mead Film Festival at the American Museum of Natural History, is a topical, engaging testimony of passion in divisive times. These 76 minutes will leave viewers frustrated over what can go wrong on Election Day, but also inspired. There is hope that the power of the people, no matter where it might lead, will be protected.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Capturing the Flag (2018) plays Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Margaret Mead Film Festival at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The screening will have Anne de Mare, the director, in attendance, along with star and producer Laverne Berry and producer Elizabeth Hemmerdinger. Rating: Click here for more information and tickets.