A deeply intimate documentary feature: a portrait into the lives of three families working to make the United States their home amid a shifting political landscape and widespread hostility towards immigrants.
The Film
The Film
From directors John Maggio and Neha Shastry, The Act of Dreaming is a feature-length verité documentary that charts the path of three, recently-arrived immigrant families and their struggle to adjust to a new life in Buffalo, New York. Filmed throughout 2024, this documentary offers a deeply intimate portrait into the lives of three families working to make the United States their home amid a shifting political landscape and widespread hostility towards immigrants.
The Act of Dreaming skillfully weaves the stories of an Ecuadorian family navigating a complex immigration system after crossing the southern border; a Syrian father struggling to financially support his family of seven after fleeing their homeland during the Syrian Civil War; and a mother and daughter from Burma learning to adjust to a new way of life after living in a Thai refugee camp for 27 years.
Through observational filming and deeply intimate access, The Act of Dreaming explores the support systems in Buffalo that help families like these begin again–from asylum workshops and refugee-run resettlement agencies to an international high school serving newly arrived youth.
Emblematic of America’s declining industrial heartland, Buffalo serves as a reflection of what small cities across the country are currently experiencing as they learn to rely on the contributions of immigrants to build stronger, more resilient communities.
The Act of Dreaming is a timely depiction of the immigrant experience as many families’ futures are now thrown into uncertainty following the 2024 presidential election. While current rhetoric around immigration may aim to divide us, this film aspires to foster a greater understanding of the resettlement experience and the vital role immigrants play in our communities.
Director’s Statement
Every person living in the United States has been touched by immigration, yet there is still so little understood about the immigrant experience. While there is an abundance of storytelling about the journey to the U.S, filmmakers John Maggio and Neha Shastry were curious about what happens once families arrive here. Is this the country they dreamed of?
Intentionally casting families with varying statuses, The Act of Dreaming charts the path of three, recently-arrived immigrant families as they struggle to adjust to a new life in Buffalo, New York. Filmed throughout 2024, the filmmakers capture the highs and lows of the modern immigrant experience, amid a shifting political landscape and widespread hostility.
The sensitivity and empathy in The Act of Dreaming is inspired by the vastly different immigrant experiences of the two directors. John Maggio grew up in Buffalo, in an Italian immigrant family, and witnessed firsthand how the city has transformed over the years, solely due to the influx of immigrants from around the world. Neha Shastry, on the other hand, grew up across Southeast Asia, and came to the U.S when she was 8 years old after her family was evacuated from Indonesia. Originally from India, Neha’s family had the privilege of immigrating formally to the U.S, but the complexity of adapting to the U.S inspired her to tell stories about newcomers.
In spite of the directors’ personal stories, it's undeniable that the central characters in The Act of Dreaming have endured extreme levels of struggle that the filmmakers have not experienced themselves, but have a lot of empathy for. We all strive for better lives for ourselves and the ones we love, and it's that sentiment that makes the immigrant experience universal. We hope that this film is a small step towards uniting us and bringing these stories out of the shadows and into the light.
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