Director(s): Rebekah Flake
The Stars and Stripes Forever in the Eternal City combines documentary style footage from two popular Roman tourist destinations, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, with a live recording of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. The American marching band anthem was performed by an Italian ensemble on a hot June afternoon directly in front of the Pantheon. The American tendency of exuberance and patriotism seems appropriate in this ancient imperial capital. The small gesture of tossing a coin–-throwing away money-–provides the tourist with a moment of simultaneous control and connectivity.