SOMEONE ELSE'S AMERICA

France, UK, Germany, 1996, 96 minutes, Colour.
Tom Conti, Miki Manojlovic, Maria Casares.
Directed by Goran Paskalyevic.

Someone Else's America was not made in the United States. Rather it is a French, British and German co-production filmed in Germany, although the sets were made to resemble New York City, especially Brooklyn.

The film shows a family illegally migrating to the United States looking for the American Dream and trying to adapt. The film focuses on Baio (Manojlovic) who is a Serb working at a New York bar, managed by Alonzo (Tom Conti) who has migrated from Spain with his mother.

The film shows the fortunes and misfortunes of Baio's family. Often it is very funny, especially with a scene where some men try to get Alonzo's homesick mother back to Spain.

Tom Conti (Shirley Valentine) is used to portraying a variety of European characters.

A small film, but an amusing look at the difficulties of migration to America.

1. A European film, film funding, the Yugoslav background of the director, the internationality of the cast, the international references of the central characters and the countries from which they had migrated, the contrast with Mexico and the United States?

2. The visuals of the USA, New York? Texas and the Mexican border? Mexico and its poverty? The contrast with Europe, Spain, Montenegro (filmed in Greece)? The atmosphere of realism? The studio re-creation of Brooklyn? The musical score and the range of ethnic music? American music?

3. The title, its perspective, the focus on migrants? America in the eyes of the migrants, in the eyes of the film's audience?

4. The themes of migration from Europe - and memories of the 19th century and early 20th century? Migrants and refugees? The European background, way of life and customs? The reasons for leaving the mother country? The experience of the journey, the change, the yearning for home, the foreign language and customs, the experience and unhappiness, the possibilities of settling, the need for hope, the future and the transformation of a way of life?

5. Bayo and Alonso as an odd couple? Two who would never have met in Europe but met in the US, in New York, in Brooklyn? The friendship, sharing the accommodation, their work, middle-aged men, their characters, friendship and support, their each changing the other?

6. The portrait of Bayo: the background in Montenegro? Seeing him at work, the ugly work in Brooklyn (the masks, the sprays and the overseer and his demands)? The buddy atmosphere amongst the workers - and Bayo and his black friend? His way of life in America, accommodation, work, helping Alonso? The friendship, the fights? The memory of his wife leaving him, his mother at home, his three children and his missing them? His writing letters, sending money - and the money being stolen? His helping Alonso with his mother and her fantasy about Spain, the elaborate method to get her to think she had journeyed to Spain, her death and the funeral? Helping Alonso at the market, the Syrian girl, his defying the men - and his being battered? The news of the arrival of his family, going down to the south, the river, his grief about Peppo, his incessant search, blaming Luka, his bond with his mother, his daughter? His not wanting to return, the fruitless search, his reaction to the guide? The visit to Mexico and its squalor, his grief and desperation? His return, the family settling in, the antagonism towards Luka, blaming him for stealing the money, not accepting his explanations? His mother and the hardships? His attacking Luka, his stroke and going to hospital? Alonso and the family's support? His anger with Luka and the lack of reconciliation? His seeing them off to California, the final embrace of his son? His return to the river, the end of the fruitless search, his arrival back, his watching the video of the family in California, their greetings? His sitting on the seat with Alonso - the fantasy for Alonso's mother in Spain, their rising into the air - the touch of magic realism after the realism of the stories? The portrait of a migrant character? His future?

7. The contrast with Alonso, his Spanish background, his blind mother and his care for her, settling in New York City, the bar and its not being well managed, his friendship with Bayo, support at home, the market, his attraction towards the Syrian girl, the clash and the fight, Bayo standing up for him? Trying to care for his mother, pretending about the trip to Spain, the pathos of her death? The funeral? The arrival of the family, his welcoming them to his home, offering accommodation, trying to help Luka, the mother and her cooking the food, the triumph of the roast, the growing number of customers? Luka and his progress, his inability to help Bayo, slapping him, trying to make sense for him? The Syrian girl, her being bashed, his taking her to Florida, the happiness, his return without her - and the fruiterer having found them in Florida? The farewell to the family, Bayo's return from the south? Sitting on the seats and their being elevated into the air? His future?

8. Alonso's mother, her yearning for Spain, the pain of the separation, her experience in America? Her wanting to return, the men and their elaborate helping her to imagine her journey, the song, the happiness of her death?

9. The sequences in Montenegro, Bayo's family, life in the village, the poverty, getting the doctor to the daughter, her illness and needing to see her father, the son and his music, Luka and his work, the postman, the blackmail? The mother and her being at home in Montenegro, the simplicities of life in the village? The decision to go to America, Luka and the arrangements, the danger in crossing the river, the piano accordion and Peppo following it, Luka trying to rescue him, his being drowned? The guide and his help, assembling them in the US, giving them help, Bayo's arrival and the fruitless search, sharing the grief? Luka and his being blamed?

10. Luka and his ability at go-getting and shrewdness? Looking over the bar, the accommodation, his success, his plans, getting his mother to cook? Pleading with her to stay? His desperation with his mother's attitude? Inability to cope with his father? The attraction to the Chinese girl? Alonso and his buying the goat for the mother, her wanting a well and a goat, the arrangements for feeding the goat? The cock and Bayo's ownership of it, his watching his son take it, going to the boardwalk, the cockfight? Luka and his decision to marry, getting a Green Card and so staying? His love for his wife? The high hopes, going to California, the final embrace for his father? The family being visualised on the video, learning English, sending their love - their prospects?

11. The sadness of the migrant as dramatised in the mother, her inability to talk, her unwillingness to eat, her passive resistance to change, working and cooking, the longing for Montenegro, the goat and the well? Her decision to support her children?

12. The Chinese family, their restaurant, the young girl, the attraction to Luka, their fumblings together, the decision to marry, the lavish wedding, the Chinese guests - and the mother unable to eat with the chopsticks? The singing and the dancing?

13. The workers, the ugly work on the docks, the bosses, the hold over the workers without their permits?

14. The Syrians, the young girl, her being trapped, Alonso and Bayo and the fight, the trip to Florida?

15. The Rio Grande and the migrants, coming across on the rope, the dangers, life in Mexico? America as the dream country? The contrast with the cardboard box city in Mexico and its lifestyle?

16. A perspective of the US - especially for European audiences and for prospective migrants, for families of those who have migrated to the US?