Mullets and Bars
This film takes its intriguing title from the coat of arms of one of its contributors (John Washington, one of George Washington’s descendents) which features mullets and bars – better known as stars and stripes. This opening image is juxtaposed with the more modern heraldic iconography of America (Elvis, the moon landing, fighter jets), immediately demanding of the audience, and of this film’s numerous articulate contributors, how is America most accurately represented these days? What do we think of the USA and why do we think it? And, perhaps most interestingly, what do they think of us?
Offering their opinions are characters as diverse as English journalist Toby Young and American dominatrix Mistress Avalon, as well as a broad social mix of English, American and Canadian tourists, interviewed in London, Paris and Edinburgh. Thought provoking but with a wry sense of humour, this collage of talking heads invites the audience to join in with an intelligent and witty conversation about America and Americans via George Bush, work ethics and (of course) orthodontics. Punctuating the vox pops are snippets of Chris GreenÂ’s fabulous creation, spoof country and western singer Tina C, illustrating that this film makes some of its most serious points through comedy and that, as with stereotypes, jokes usually owe more to truth than to fiction. KM (Raindance Film Festival