{"id":53217,"date":"2022-02-16T15:33:03","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T13:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=53217"},"modified":"2022-02-16T15:34:13","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T13:34:13","slug":"potato-dreams-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=53217","title":{"rendered":"Potato\u00a0 Dreams of America"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Hersh Powers and Sera Barbieri in POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA \/Photo courtesy of PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Potato Dreams of America<\/em>\u00a0is an unconventional, wildly entertaining film. A semi-autobiographical darkly comic retelling of director Wes Hurley\u2019s own experiences, this coming-of-age story is complicated by the shift in language and culture involved in the protagonist\u2019s immigration to America from Russia. And he\u2019s gay. Hurley handles these many layers of difference with panache, making some exciting creative choices. The film is divided \u2013 geographically and stylistically \u2013 into two parts: Potato\u2019s early years in Vladivostok, Russia, and the adventures of the 16-year-old youth who emigrates to Seattle with his mother.<\/p>\n

Viewers may be surprised (as I was) to hear the denizens of Vladivostock speak in a neutral, American-accented English. There is a good reason for this, and it will become apparent in the second half of the film. It\u2019s a brilliant choice on Hurley\u2019s part, a solution to the eternal conundrum of how to convey a foreign language in an English-speaking film. \u00a0It also, in foreshadowing flair, effectively conveys the cultural-linguistic alienation experienced by immigrants. Vasili (Hersh Powers), is affectionately called Potato by his mother Lena (Sera Barbieri), a prison doctor who refuses to collaborate with her corrupt superiors. Young Potato doesn\u2019t exactly fit in either. Apparently, according to Vasili\u2019s classmates, there is one thing worse than kikes: faggots.<\/p>\n

The hardships of life in the Soviet Union are depicted in a fanciful and quirky manner that is distanced from reality, yet does not diminish its implications. Powers portrays Potato with sweet sincerity, whether he is breathlessly watching muscular wrestlers, or sharing a moment with his own personal Jesus (Jonathan Bennett), to whom he confides: \u201cOur lives are like bad Russian movies, nothing good ever happens.\u201d Jesus gives him some practical advice: \u201cThen believe in American movies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Joan Baez, Potato has a mother who sings him an honest lullaby. Vivacious, smart and practical, Lena is determined to protect Potato from the dire future that awaits him in Russia \u2013 and she doesn\u2019t even yet realize that he is gay. Lea DeLaria portrays Potato\u2019s tough Russian grandmother who has her own unique way of addressing life\u2019s problems. Desperate to escape, Lena signs up with a mail-order bride service.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Marya Sea Kaminski and Tyler Bocock in Potato Dreams of America\/Photo courtesy of PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When they fly out to America, the film shifts mode, and switches actors: Marya Sea Kaminski portrays the older Lena, and Tyler Bocock is the 16-year-old Vasili, eager to fit into his new home, yet thwarted at every turn by all, as they insist on labeling him \u201cRussian\u201d. Living in the home of Lena\u2019s American husband John (Dan Lauria), a stern right-wing patriarch, they are in the land of freedom, yet inevitably confined. The entire ensemble cast really shines, and every small step along the way as Lena tries to find her way within the limitations of her new role, and Vasili comes to terms with America and his sexuality, is funny, sometimes frightening, and always entertaining.<\/p>\n

TLVFEST will present a one-night-only screening of Potato Dreams of America<\/em> on Monday, February 28, 2022 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. Tickets may be ordered online from the TLVFEST website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Potato Dreams of America\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Director & Writer: Wes Hurley
\nProducer: Vicky Berglund-Davenport, Daryle Conners, Sue Corcoran
\nCast: Jonathan Bennett, Dan Lauria, Lea DeLaria, Lauren Tewes
\nUSA, 2021, 95 min, English with Hebrew subtitles<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Potato Dreams of America\u00a0is an unconventional, wildly entertaining film. A semi-autobiographical darkly comic retelling of director Wes Hurley\u2019s own experiences, this coming-of-age story is complicated by the shift in language and culture involved in the protagonist\u2019s immigration to America from Russia. And he\u2019s gay. Hurley handles these many layers of difference with panache, making some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":53027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}