This week I want to blog about a really talented Dutch documentary filmmaker named Bregtje van der Haak and one of her more recent creations, a movie entitled California Dreaming. The film begins with a very simple premise, as an examination of the current economic crisis and its aftermath in Los Angeles, California, but it quickly becomes about much more as van der Haak deftly examines a number of universal themes, such as work, family, responsibility, community, injustice, resilience, and empowerment. I strongly advise everyone reading this blog to watch the entire film. If you do and you’re like me, you’ll find it very moving.
For me, the key moment of the movie comes right at the end when van der Haak asks Laura Burkhalter, a visionary architect who dreams of founding a commune and transforming the urban experience in the process, if the American dream is kaput. She quite simply answers “no” and then reinterprets the concept, stressing that it has always been more about “self-expression” and “freedom” than about the acquisition of material goods. She then goes on to describe the “American character” in a way that provides a feel-good conclusion to the documentary.
I don’t want to spoil the film by writing too much about it. Just take a look and you’ll find yourself among optimistic, likeable people who tell very interesting stories about what it’s like to dream big while living in “the Golden State.”
