The American Sector explores the presence of the Berlin Wall in the United States: as an object, artifact, and supposed symbol of national values. For 18 months Pacho Velez and Courtney Stephens traveled the US to document sections of the wall that are on display in over 75 locations, ranging from the serious (Fort Benning) to the bizarre (Main Street Station Casino in Las Vegas) and even the campus of nearby Capital University. Along the way, interviews with unusual characters who own, maintain, and interact with pieces of the wall offer a window into American culture, and through the film these Cold War relics become a catalyst for exploring today’s timely issues.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• The Reagan Shorts (2015-17, approx. 16 minutes total), short films by Pacho Velez
• Q&A with Courtney Stephens and Pacho Velez from Open City Documentary Festival 2020 (27 minutes)