06/20/2026
The new immersive documentary "By George: It All Comes Down" is now playing at Dupont Underground, every hour on the hour, June 12-July 5, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11-5. Go to dc.july9th.com for free admission with suggested $5 donation (walk-downs welcomed too).
The one-hour film experience surrounds you with large projection screens, expanding your choices to take a closer look at what you choose. Timed with America turning 250, it tells the true story of our first real moment of declaring independence, when we toppled the statue of King George III after a first public reading of the freshly inked document on July 9, 1776.
The documentary follows the extraordinary afterlife of the monument: the iron statue was melted down into musket balls by a young woman in Connecticut to support the revolutionary cause, while the decapitated head got smuggled back to England, where it may remain hidden to this day.
Set against contemporary debates around monuments, memory, and public space, "By George: It All Comes Down" explores the rise and fall of empires, the meaning of statues in civic life, and the evolving ways societies choose to remember history. The film features historian Abby Suckle’s storytelling detective work, and reflections from Ivan Schwartz, founder of StudioEIS, whose work has shaped some of our country’s most important historical monuments and public sculptures, including several here in Washington, D.C.
With intense conversation and debate about recent architectural directives in Washington DC, the film investigates sites right here that we pass by constantly, wondering how and why.
Somewhere between a movie screening and an immersive art exhibition, "By George: It All Comes Down" is a must-see trip through our founding history, just when it matters most. Exhaustively researched and surrounded with period-authentic music, it's educational and suitable for all ages too.
(This clip features music composed for the film by Philippe Ge**er)
