
Wheredoesthedreambeginandrealityend?InDreamingArizona,thisisthequestionbothforthecentralfiguresandfortheviewer.Knownforhisstageddocumentaries,DanishdirectorJonBangCarlsenhasfiveAmericanteenagersfromasmalltowninArizonareenacttheirownlives—past,presentandfuture.<br/> Withoutcommentary,thescenesmovefromclearlystagedsituationstosectionsinwhichtheyoungpeopletalkabouttheirownlives,feelingsandimpactfulevents.Theyalsotalktoeachother,andwhenargumentsoccurit’sunclearwhethertheyarerealoracted.<br/> ThelinebetweenfactandfictionisblurredallthemorebythedreamyatmosphereCarlsencreateswithpoeticcamerawork,lighting,musicandshotsofArizona’sphotogeniclandscapes.Thefilmisaboutthetransitionfromchildhoodtoadulthood,seekingandfindingone’sownnewidentity,andgettingovertraumasintheprocess.

