A film which tells the story of the Confederate Battle Flag and its inglorious relationship with the state of South Carolina and how this relationship has reflected and impacted its image in American society for nearly six decades. Some would say that in many ways, the days and actions that followed the 2015 Mother Emmanuel shooting represented the last shots and final battles of the US Civil War, marking the final chapter of a symbol that had haunted American history for over 150 years.

Through first-hand interviews, images, and videos, Downing of a Flag follows the timeline of events as the flag was first hoisted above the South Carolina Statehouse in 1961, and explores why it remained there for nearly forty years, along with efforts to normalize the image in American society throughout the 70s and 80s, to a new movement of leaders demanding its removal in the 90s.

The film explores “The Compromise of 2000” which removed the flag from atop the South Carolina Statehouse and relocated it in an even more discernible location in front of the Statehouse on one of the busiest intersections in the state. The film chronicles the lost years that followed and the tragedy on June 17, 2015, which set in motion the final acts that lead to its permanent demise as an acceptable image in American society and culture. 

Downing of a Flag reflects on how the events and actions surrounding this notorious image throughout South Carolina history mirrored the feelings of the nation through U.S. history, all the way to its final downing and removal on July 10, 2015.