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Carpet Cowboys

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2:24

Carpet Cowboys

Released Aug 25, 2023

1h 25m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

93%

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14 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

The psychedelic carpets lining our hotel hallways, casinos, and convention centers can be traced to one town: Dalton, Georgia, the "Carpet Capital of the World." In this bastion of American manufacturing we find an interwoven set of locals who are the unsung creators and developers behind the majority of the country's carpets, always looking at the ground for their next big break. Among them is Roderick James, a Scottish expat and freelance textile designer living his life as a modern-day cowboy with an ambitious slew of eclectic business ventures. Through Rod's journey chasing after The American Dream and the experiences of his peers in Dalton, CARPET COWBOYS explores the tensions between personal and national identity, and the rapidly changing global economic model of the United States that too often leaves so many behind. Where does the myth of American identity begin and where does it end, and who ultimately gets to cash in?

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Josh Kupecki

Austin Chronicle

Hilarious and poignant documentary.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 16, 2023

Full Review

Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (LAist)

This is a great debut that reminded me of the early works of Errol Morris.

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

RogerEbert.com

A launching pad to chart the deconstruction of the American Dream.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 25, 2023

Full Review

Jeffrey Peterson

Geek Vibes Nation

The film ends up being a cognitive exercise in regret, fate, and passing of the torch, never overflowing with somber acceptance or directly speaking to capitalism. The filmmakers don’t shun images of death though.

Rated: 8/10

Jan 1, 2024

Full Review

Michael Talbot-Haynes

Film Threat

I am predicting a lot of awards attention on this one.

Rated: 8.5/10

Nov 29, 2023

Full Review

Andrew Parker

The Gate

Emily MacKenzie and Noah Collier’s documentary Carpet Cowboys takes an inspired look at how the American dream has been trampled and walked over in recent years, both literally and figuratively.

Rated: 7/10

Oct 26, 2023

Full Review

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Bucky R

The seeds of an interesting doc are here, but this movie meanders so far from the topic that it's hard to know why you're watching it. Seems to be made by someone who has never seen a documentary film before.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/15/25

Full Review

walter W

At times Carpet Cowboys matches or exceeds the compelling cinematography and editing of Fricken and Madison from either Baraka or Samsara. This is enough to strongly say 'you need to see this film'. However the duo directors don't stop at visual poetry. The people who are presented are genuine and unpolished. Sometimes you love them. Sometimes you feel for their collective loss. Sometimes you are aghast. All in all a sweet artistic perspective of the personal price of corporate amalgamation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/23

Full Review

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Noah Collier

Director

M. Emily Mackenzie

Director

Emily Mackenzie

Director

Roderick James

Self

Riel Roch-Decter

Producer

John Wilson

Executive Producer

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Carpet Cowboys: Trailer 1

2:24

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Synopsis

The psychedelic carpets lining our hotel hallways, casinos, and convention centers can be traced to one town: Dalton, Georgia, the "Carpet Capital of the World." In this bastion of American manufacturing we find an interwoven set of locals who are the unsung creators and developers behind the majority of the country's carpets, always looking at the ground for their next big break. Among them is Roderick James, a Scottish expat and freelance textile designer living his life as a modern-day cowboy with an ambitious slew of eclectic business ventures. Through Rod's journey chasing after The American Dream and the experiences of his peers in Dalton, CARPET COWBOYS explores the tensions between personal and national identity, and the rapidly changing global economic model of the United States that too often leaves so many behind. Where does the myth of American identity begin and where does it end, and who ultimately gets to cash in?

Director: Noah Collier, M. Emily Mackenzie, Emily Mackenzie
Producer: Riel Roch-Decter
Distributor: Memory
Production Co: Memory, XTR
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 25, 2023, Limited
Runtime: 1h 25m

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