American Dream Stories (2017)

• 77%
• 2017
• Documentary
• Thomas Zeller
• Christine Lechner

The cinematic journey takes us on a 45,000 kilometer (28,000 miles) train ride through the United States of America in search of the remaining fragments of the '(All) American Dream'. The documentary film takes stock of a nation that was built up 150 years ago by a network of railroads, and which today is at a crossroads with its social, economic and infrastructural situation. This stocktaking of the USA through the windows of a train compartment invites its audience to take part in a wondrous journey. The sight of backyards, industrial zones and private gardens offers us glimpses of life behind the facade of a country (of dreams). Between the scenic pictures, American passengers tell their stories of how their personal situations and those of their companions have changed over the years, what the future holds for them, and how they still believe in and hold onto the (All) American Dream.