Mother of Exiles (2009)

"Three men - three 'American Dreams' in the middle of China Town, New York. Sticky air hangs like a layer of thick fog over the crowded Mott Street, a popular market area. Here, it seems, everything is possible and the opportunities are endless. Delfino, a Mexican immigrant, wants to get his US-citizenship at any cost. He struggles with the questions in the Naturalisation Test. John wants to get a construction permit from the local city council. He is eager to extend his apartment block with four new floors. And then there is Vito. Finally he has won the lottery and plans to spend the rest of his retirement in sunny Florida. These three men are trying to accomplish their personal goals. But at the end of the day - and this is Independence Day, the 4th of July - what is left of their dreams? With an anthropological perspective, atmospheric Super 8 shots and detailed close-ups, Damian John Harper provides a personal insight into the lives of his protagonists. A filmic field study." - 24. International DOKfest Munich, Germany