Emmy-award winning editor Lee Percy is known for his work editing Oscar-winning performances like William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune and Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry, as well as major studio films like Single White Female, Murder By Numbers, Carrie (2013), Salt and more. Now, Lee seeks to bring attention to the immigration debate in his exciting directorial and writing debut of the new short film Dreaming American.
"I was at a catered event in New York when a waiter, Praq Rado, struck up a conversation with me about film," Lee recalls. "I was skeptical when he asked me to make a movie about his life, but when the details unfurled it became the story I had to tell."
Based on the true life story of lead actor Praq Rado, Dreaming American is a humorous, sad and compelling story of courage and the struggle of living by one's wits to make it in America. After escaping a dangerous situation in Albania, the young Zef Noja (Rado) fights to keep himself, his dignity and his dreams alive in New York City alongside his brother.
Survival is only the first challenge - when his hard work and perseverance manifest a new opportunity, he is stopped in his tracks by the powerful and uncaring immigration bureaucracy.
Dreaming American will be presented by the City University of New York as a VIP screening at the TriBeCa
Performing Arts Center on Thursday, November 6, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. The audience will be treated to an intimate, post-show discussion with both Lee Percy and Praq Rado and Lee will also show excerpts from and discuss previous films from his elite body of work.
"My tale is more than a labor of love," Praq states. "This is a story that highlights what's happening to many other people around the world and I'm proud it is finally being told."
The film has already engaged audiences at international festivals and invites viewers to share their own immigration stories via the official website. Follow Dreaming American on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news.
