IntriguingdocumentaryaboutChinesestudentstryingtofindtheirown34;HollywoodDream34;inLAfilm

AreviewcopiedfromIMDb.Whatisthequot;HollywoodDreamquot;?IsitdifferentforapersonthatwasbornundertheassumptionthatweknowexactlywhatthisphrasemeansandastudentthatknowstheAmericancultureonlythroughlearningandmarginalexperience?Howdoestryingtodiscoverthisimpossibleideachangewhoweareaspeople?Whoweareasanotindividuals,butgroupswithdifferentculturalidentities?Thisisthemostbasicconceptbehindquot;DriftinginLosAngelesquot;,adocumentarybyZhāoLewisLiú,asitexaminesthelivesofseveralChinesestudentsattendingfilmschoolinLosAngeles,California.Money,equality,socialopinion,andhappinessareamongafewofthesubjectstoucheduponinthisfilm,aswellastechniquesandtoolsofthetradethatshapeeveryyoungfilmmajorintowhattheyhopetobecome.Forme,oneofthemostinterestingarcsofthefilmisthegeneralideaofhowtheyreexperienceinAmericahasimpactedthesestudentsinthewayinwhichtheynotonlyviewthefilmindustry,buthowtheyviewthemselves.SomeofthestudentsinterviewedstraightforwardlyadmittedtowantingtogobacktoChinainsteadoftryingtostayandtrytoworkinAmerica.Here,notonlydosomeofthestudentsfeelthattheyarediscriminatedagainst,buttheyfeelasthoughthefilmindustryispushingtowardstaughtconformityandideals,onlythetrulygreatableandwillingtostandoutandgoagainstthegrain.AsanAmerican,Ihadnotthoughtofthisbefore.Iswhatweconsiderthefilmindustrymerelyabyproductofwhatafewintellectualswantustobelieve?Theseexperienceshavebecomeatimeinthesestudentslivesinwhichtheyfindpiecesofthemselvesinhowothersreactandrespondtotheminadifferentculture.But,byfar,thethingthatinterestedmethemostwasthatthisfilmdidnotmerelyreflectuponhowthesestudentsfeelthattheyareoutcasts,butthenearepiphanyofthedirectorthatmostofthestudentshespoketofelthindered,handicapped,intheAmericansocietybecauseofwheretheycamefromandhowotherstreatthemforthis.Throughoutthefilmtherearesplicesofworksfromthestudentsinterviewed,powerfulandbeautifuloriginalpiecesoffilmthatreflectthisdifferentialtreatmentandtheimpactithasonthesestudents.Asthedirectorhimselfsoaptlyputs:quot;(theshortfilmsofthestudents)allfeaturedacharacterwithadisabilityorsevereillness.ThissharedthemerevealstheircollectiveexperienceofbeingaChineseinAmerica,analienethnicminorityexcludedfromthemainstream.quot;Thoughtfulandinteresting,Ienjoyedthisshortfilm.AsaloverofbothAmericanandInternationalfilms,afterwatchingquot;DriftinginLosAngelesquot;Icannothelpbuttowonderwhattheconceptofquot;Hollywoodquot;hasmadeonforeignfilmworkers.Isitjustanideathattheyarereflectinguponwhentheytrytoreproduceouriconicimages,oraretheyreflectingupontheirownpersonalexperienceshereinAmericaandhowithaschangedtheirbeliefsofwhatquot;Hollywoodquot;andcinema,beneaththestarsandglitteringlights,trulyis?