The American Dream

Jérémy Medjana works behind the counter at a small video rental shop in Amiens, bored but animated by the bright dreams he watches on battered VHS tapes from the United States. He clips trailers, shelves new arrivals, and clips coupons, all while imagining courts that glow with crowd energy and sunlit arenas in a glamour he has never touched. Across town, Bouna Ndiaye keeps a cleaner's schedule at Orly Airport, wrestling with dull shifts, scarce Wi-Fi, and a sense that the future is clearing up nowhere fast. When an improbable chance arises to chase professional basketball, the two strangers form an unlikely alliance. They chase tryouts, dodge setbacks, and discover that belief can open doors even when reality pushes back.

Directed by Anthony Marciano, The American Dream follows the collaboration of Jérémy Medjana and Bouna Ndiaye in a largely original take on ambition and friendship. The budget is listed as $122, and the film features Jean-Pascal Zadi and Raphaël Quenard.

Box office figures are not publicly disclosed, which makes it hard to gauge commercial reach. The film appears to be a festival and streaming oriented project that aims for a broad audience through its humor and heart.

Critically the movie leans into warmth rather than bite, using two very different paths to explore the lure of the American dream. It examines friendship across cultural divides, the pull of entertainment icons, and the stubborn optimism that keeps people chasing a goal that seems out of reach. The tone stays light, but the film does not dodge real challenges or awkward moments.

Even in its early release window, the film hints at cultural conversation around immigrant labor and sports as a universal language. Jérémy and Bouna embody everyday aspiration and resilience, turning a small French city into a stage where dreams collide with reality and laughter softens the blow. Audiences may recognize their own longings in Jérémy's perseverance and Bouna's quiet grit.