US Memories
Director Edward Goldstein
Countries France
Duration 52 min
Synopsis
This film offers the portrait of a generation, that of the author, which graduated high school in 1968. At that time, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., students were preoccupied by the drafting of young men to fight in Vietnam, by rock, and by the counter-culture, all of which played an important role in the region. In the spring of 2008 the class of ’68 celebrated its 40th reunion. At the same time the country was in the midst of a presidential election marking the end of the Bush administration and what was to be either a repudiation or vindication of the Bush-Cheney years. For this occasion the director invites us on a retrospective voyage with political overtones; looking back at his youth on one side and at the last eight years, on the other. The ambiance of this suburb in the sixties is compared with that of today; using both images and sounds to show the contrasts and at times the continuity between the two eras. These portraits of classmates who have gone down separate paths, provide a vision of today’s America and its recent evolution. The voice of the director will accompanies on this voyage. The tone is at times amused, critical, or nostalgic. Edward Goldstein’s vision of the USA is multi-faceted; that of an American involved in the culture and politics of his homeland, that of a media professional, that of an ex-patriot, and that of an alumnus of B-CC (Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School) moved by a return to his old high school.
This film offers the portrait of a generation, that of the author, which graduated high school in 1968. At that time, in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., students were preoccupied by the drafting of young men to fight in Vietnam, by rock, and by the counter-culture, all of which played an important role in the region. In the spring of 2008 the class of ’68 celebrated its 40th reunion. At the same time the country was in the midst of a presidential election marking the end of the Bush administration and what was to be either a repudiation or vindication of the Bush-Cheney years. For this occasion the director invites us on a retrospective voyage with political overtones; looking back at his youth on one side and at the last eight years, on the other. The ambiance of this suburb in the sixties is compared with that of today; using both images and sounds to show the contrasts and at times the continuity between the two eras. These portraits of classmates who have gone down separate paths, provide a vision of today’s America and its recent evolution. The voice of the director will accompanies on this voyage. The tone is at times amused, critical, or nostalgic. Edward Goldstein’s vision of the USA is multi-faceted; that of an American involved in the culture and politics of his homeland, that of a media professional, that of an ex-patriot, and that of an alumnus of B-CC (Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School) moved by a return to his old high school.