Throughout much of the 20th century, the nation of Albania was a dark mystery to the outside world.  Isolated under the iron-fisted rule of a communist dictatorship, the country steadily descended into ruin.  When the communist regime fell in 1991, tens of thousands of Albanians fled their country in a matter of months -- many of them into neighboring Italy. LAMERICA relates the story of two men caught up in this massive wave of human tragedy and suffering.   Gino is a selfish, young Italian who dreams of great wealth.   Spiro is an aged political prisoner who has forgotten what it means to be free.  Two men, whose hearts and minds could not be further apart, are forced by circumstance to journey as one.  This is the journey of LAMERICA. 

Gianni Amelio's brilliant, award-winning film is of bold, neo-realist carriage, offering a mesmerizing view into a wrenchingly brutal world.  Surviving their journey through this world is Gino and Spiro's ultimate test; emerging from it enlightened is the kindest gift.  Hence, the gift of LAMERICA is relevant to the struggles of oppressed peoples throughout the world. 

It is fitting, as we embark on our communal journey into a new millennium, to confront and, indeed, embrace humanity's ongoing plague of inhumanity and suffering.  LAMERICA provides a fitting channel for that embrace.  It deftly finds intimacy in the eyes of its main characters, while it prophetically lays out the human frailties confronting our world, and calls us to gaze deeply into our own eyes.

David Tlapek was a practicing attorney in Dallas, Texas before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. He received his Masters Degree in Film Production from USC in 1995. As his thesis project, he directed and wrote "The Search for Martin Frye," which has garnered numerous festival honors, including an award from the City of the Angels Film Festival. Mr. Tlapek recently completed a documentary on the Nuba people of Sudan entitled "THE HIDDEN GIFT: War and Faith in Sudan."

Discussion Panelists:  Monica Gannes, Ken Gire, Rabbi Susan Laemmle