The Great Experiment - True/False Film Fest
True/False Film Fest March 5-8, 2026 at Columbia, MO

The Great Experiment

A collage of arresting black and white vignettes chronicle everyday political life from 2017-2020 in the United States. ⍟ World Premiere
Director: Stephen Maing & Eric Daniel Metzgar
Runtime: 100
Fest Year: 2026
Filmed in stunning black and white across diverse regions throughout the United States from 2017 to 2020, The Great Experiment is a kaleidoscopic portrait of America during one of the most volatile eras in the nation’s history. By weaving together diverse experiences of a country in flux—not as micro-histories but as cascading flashpoints of American life―the film is both an enduring record and observational non-fiction experiment reaching beyond the conflict and division of our times. Robert Frost wrote that America can be hard to see. This film takes that difficulty seriously—its contradictions, its tender and urgent moments—and makes of it something panoramic, patient, and alive.