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'American Dreamer' Starring Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine Opens the PBS SoCal Spring Cinema Series

The film screened March 5, with an in-person Q&A with director/producer Paul Dektor immediately after the screening.
February 27, 2024
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The film marks the feature directorial debut of Paul Dektor. Paul became interested in the topic of the film after hearing a podcast on NPR's This American Life. The story is about a person who is able to buy an apartment for cheap if they would allow the person who owned the property to remain in the apartment until they died.

The idea resonated with him, especially the concept of what the American Dream used to be compared to what it is today. It's a vastly different conversation to have between the generation before and after his own, and he wanted to explore a relatable and flawed character's deep and desperate slide into this notion of the ultimate need. The arc of the story is the journey, he hoped to explore in a unique, emotional, and comedic way.

Immediately following the screening, Deadline's chief film critic Pete Hammond, who can also be seen on PBS SoCal's Must See Movies, moderated a Q&A with director/producer Paul Dektor.

Listen to the full Q&A from the screening below.

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