How to Start Your Own Country

For a documentary, there’s an unexpected amount of humor to be found here. - thefilmstage.com

Just what makes a country, state, or nation? What’s to stop anyone from starting their own?  Traversing the globe, director Jody Shapiro (often collaborator of Guy Maddin) explores some such sovereign territories and their eccentric rulers in one of the droll-est films in the fest. 

Situated somewhere in Nevada lies the Republic of Molossia, population 6, where everything from Texas is banned. Residents of the Principality of Seborga, established in 820 AD as a reward for returning Crusaders, claim that their territory was accidentally included in Italy by mistake. The Seasteading Institute, an experiment in offshore living, hopes to have a population of 100,000 within 25 years. And then there was the creator of the Segway…

Providing more than just a tour of these quirky micronations, Shapiro also examines the deeper political and economic reasons behind national legitimacy. Is the fact that the Czech Republic doesn’t recognize Lichtenstein any reason for the UN to refute its existence? A fascinating investigation into how nationhood can shape our identity, this film may very well inspire the raising of a few new flags around the world.

Print Source: The Film Collaborative, Jeffrey Winter, jeffrey@thefilmcollaborative.org