Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has been the focus of two separate — and radically different — documentaries.
One of them is "Michael Flynn's Holy War," a PBS/Associated Press collaboration aired on "Frontline" in 2022. Another is Aquidneck Island Productions' "Flynn," a MAGA-friendly film that Religion News' Tess Owen is highly critical of in an article published on April 22.
"'Flynn,' the film, poses as a straight-laced documentary but is starkly silent about Flynn's current mission: spreading the gospel of Christian nationalism and preparing his followers to wage spiritual warfare, starting by taking over local politics," Owen explains. "The film's goal seems to be to rewrite history and bolster Flynn's credibility as a spiritual leader. After all, to Flynn's followers, the 'Deep State' isn't just a political enemy — it's a spiritual one, and the only way to serve God and save America is to destroy it."
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No one has done more to bring together the Religious Right and the MAGA movement than the far-right QAnon supporter Flynn, who, in December 2022, called for then-President Donald Trump to invoke martial law in order to stay in the White House.
"Flynn," Owen notes, "might be considered a counter to" PBS and AP's "Michael Flynn's Holy War" — as it "mythologizes its subject as a renegade who perseveres against all odds, standing up to malevolent forces in defense of 'the truth.'"
According to Owen, "The film premiered April 5 at a community center in Sarasota County, Florida, and will screen at 32 other locations, mostly municipal buildings, barns and church halls, across 25 states in the next two months. Tickets start at $35, but for $200, you get a photo op with Flynn and a 'Flynn' film swag bag…. So far, the screenings seem to have attracted decent crowds and have featured prayer circles and drawn QAnon influencers as well as state senators, including Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers."
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Read Tess Owens' full Religion News Service article at this link.
