American Movie

Standing on the barren expanse of a car graveyard on a fall day in Wisconsin, Mark Borchardt, the main protagonist in , explains what the horror film he made about his life is all about: "Rust and decay. But then within that is the warmth of the soul and stuff like that." In an uphill battle against his drinking and money problems, Mark is working hard to live the American dream. He wants to make it as a director with his feature film debut . When this proves to be a financial impossibility, he decides to get back to filming his short horror movie . With the support of his lethargic bosom buddy Mike Shank and his jaded, skeptical Uncle Bill, Mark struggles like a modern-day Don Quixote against an inglorious trailer-trash life. He manages to draw everyone around him into his ambitious projects, transforming close family members as well as vague acquaintances into extras or executive producers. This results in a seemingly endless sequence of tragicomic situations that are equal parts hilarious and emotionally moving. won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1999, the same year premiered at the festival. Since then it has gained cult status - as has Mark Borchardt himself. is still unfinished.