A nod to a line from the American national anthem, “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave,” Deborah Stratman’s O’er the Land explores the American ideals of freedom and heroism, and what its citizens do to protect them. Through her collage of different American cultural practices, Stratman examines how American identity is shaped through displays of patriotism, and the technological power exerted over their nation’s landscapes.

The film moves through a series of symbols and performances that supposedly represent freedom and heroism, including Civil War reenactments, high school football games, firefighters, and aviation shows. Stratman interrupts these performances with a special focus on Lt. Col. William Rankin, a symbol of heroism and domination over nature, a pilot who miraculously survived ejecting from his aircraft and being trapped inside a thunderstorm for 45 minutes. His survival exemplifies the American pursuit of heroism and freedom, and the pursuit of technological prowess over nature, while also pointing to Deborah criticism of these ideals, revealing the limits of these ideals through an intensely traumatic experience. Stratman does not offer a straightforward critique of patriotism, rather creates a layered portrait of America, revealing the tensions and the cost of the cultural construction of “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

LA