Article by Orazio Oztas

Translation by Martina Perrero

The American Dream is a central theme in American cinema. “Dreamers” manifest themselves in different forms: on the one hand, character groups, such as those of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, whose mafia gangs offer a stark depiction of the lust for wealth and success; on the other hand, lonely dreamers, individuals willing to go to any lengths to pursue great ideals. However, stories that reflect the American Dream outside United States’ borders are often overlooked, demonstrating how these universal aspirations transcend cultures and geographies. Moreover, there are narratives inspired by this theme that do not resort to exaggeration but achieve a sober and realistic balance.

Leggi tutto: “THE BLACK SEA” BY DERRICK B. HARDEN AND CRYSTAL MOSELLLE

And it is in the film The Black Sea that these dynamics become most prominent. The protagonist, Khalid, a young African American man with high ambitions, dissatisfied with his job at a bar in Brooklyn, decides to quit after being contacted by a Bulgarian woman on Facebook, who offers him ten thousand euros to spend time with her. However, upon his arrival in the Balkans, he discovers that the woman is deceased, thus initiating his financial exile in an unfamiliar land. Directors Derrick B. Harden and Crystal Moselle follow the journey of Khalid, played by Harden himself, as he tries to integrate into a foreign community, exploring themes of individual aspiration and loneliness, similar to those addressed by Kubrick in Barry Lyndon. The adjustment process in the small town bathed by the Black Sea, which the film’s title refers to, proves to be complex; Khalid must take any available job to survive. His situation has drastically changed: necessity now guides his choices. However, he develops a friendship with a Bulgarian woman, and together they manage to merge their ambitions; this will allow them to find a balance that will enable them to achieve their desired success without erupting into conclusions of ethical and moral decay.