Review by Max Piesner

In this documentary by Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras we are introduced to Olde Town, a traditionally African American neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio which has fallen on poor times. Ambitious young gay couples have begun buying up the dilapidated houses, renovating them to sell for a profit. The resulting rise in property taxes and the introduction of new historic preservation by-laws are pushing residents out of homes that have been owned by their families for generations. One such newly introduced regulation stipulates that longtime resident, Jim, most remove a colorful African-style sign from above his front door while his newer neighbors are permitted to fly rainbow flags from their properties, hence the film’s title.

Some see the gentrification of the neighbourhood as a restoration or revitalization; others view it as a hostile take-over designed to push the poor further away from the city’s urban centre. This film presents a frank, sometimes uncomfortable, look at some of the people involved in the changeover of this neighbourhood. The film-makers follow a number of eccentric figures on both sides of a conflict that divides residents along racial, religious, and economic lines. Shot in cinema verite style, without commentary or subtitles, the film presents an often messy view of this complex issue, with little explanation or simplification. This, I believe, could be perceived as both the film’s greatest shortcoming and its greatest strength.

The film rejects, or at least avoids, both preaching and the attempt to present solutions.
There are perhaps individuals presented as villains and heroes, but they are not necessarily the people you would expect. Without giving too much away, I will say that I don’t think the all-too-obvious Caucasian judge seen ruling on the new property preservation by-law infractions comes across as a villain, though he may be viewed in this light by some. It is also the most unlikely of characters that is held up as a hero in the neighbourhood; a sickly local woman named Linda, struggling to hold on to her family home. Like this character, the film can be disheveled, even incoherent at times, but this type of honest presentation provides many poignant highlights and is why I believe it is such a powerful story. There are villains and heroes in Flag Wars, but who you think they are will depend entirely upon which side of the fence you are viewing from. This is one of those rare films that will force viewers to reconsider, or at least reexamine, their personal definitions of both hero and villain. –Max Piesner