The Great Experiment

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Special Events

  • Tue Jul 28 : 

    On-stage conversation with dirs. Stephen Maing & Eric Daniel Metzgar after 7:00 screening

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SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

NYC PREMIERE

Tuesday, July 28 at 7:00: The screening will be followed by an on-stage conversation with filmmakers Stephen Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar.

More than 200 years after George Washington describe the United States’ new system of democracy as the last great experiment in promoting human happiness in civil society, filmmakers Steve Maing and Eric Daniel Metzgar check up on how that is unfolding for our indivisible Republic. Traversing the nation over a four-year period during the tenure of the nation’s 45th president, Maing and Metzgar observe deep and often fractious conflict among citizens, many of whom hold deeply personal interpretations of the founding fathers’ vision.

Yet through their objective, calm, and even-handed approach, the filmmakers offer a counterpoint to the daily hysteria of public discourse. Each morning marks a new dawn in America, and the great experiment endures—sustained by the optimism, hopes, and dreams of its people.

  • Country USA
  • Language English and Spanish with English subtitles
  • Running Time 100 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor DOC NYC Selects
  • Director Stephen Maing, Eric Daniel Metzgar
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

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