After finishing their first feature
documentary feature together, the Oscar-winning Common
Threads, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman wanted to
do something completely different. By van, by bus, and
by train, they traveled with a film crew for eighteen
days through the South and Southwest, stopping in cities
and small towns, talking with people they met along the
way. The result is Where Are We? (Our Trip through
America).
Where Are We is about people and places we don't usually
see on film or TV -- ordinary people, working, playing,
and just getting by -- each pursuing a unique, and sometimes
startlingly original version of the American dream. Representing
a cross-section of roadside America, they are generously
-- often surprisingly -- willing to offer us glimpses
into their lives. They explain what is important to them,
they reflect on the dreams and aspirations of their youth,
and compare them to their present lives; they ponder regrets,
and describe their hopes for the future.
Where Are We is an eclectic tribute to chance encounters
with strangers.
