Netflix is set to release The American Experiment, a five-part documentary series by acclaimed filmmaker Brian Knappenberger, on June 24 as part of the platform’s programming marking America’s 250th anniversary.
The series explores the founding of the United States and the ongoing tensions within its democratic system, tracing how the country has wrestled with ideals of freedom, power and identity across nearly two and a half centuries.
Drawing on interviews with politicians, historians, military experts, tribal leaders and legal scholars, the documentary features voices including Al Gore, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton and former Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer.
The series will also dramatise parts of American history through voice performances, with Martin Sheen portraying George Washington.
According to Netflix, the project revisits the Revolutionary War, the drafting of the Constitution and Washington’s presidency while asking whether American democracy can continue to endure modern political and social fractures.
Knappenberger is known for politically charged documentaries including The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz and Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror.
The series is produced by Playtone, founded by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.
