Rick Mclaren was a real man that really tried to form his very own Republic of Texas back in the 1990s. Of course, Texas is still a state in the U.S.A today, so his attempt did not go the way he had planned.

Given the remarkable, absurd actions he took in trying to stand off as a new governing body independent of the red, white, and blue, an indie comedy, The Republic of Rick, telling Mclaren’s story was made and has worked its way around the film festival circuit including Slamdance.

Watch the trailer for Republic of Rick here and ponder what their Ebola situation would be like in Texas if Mclaren had succeeded.