The last dance. Next steps

Description

When we first met the six young men and women from The Last Dance, they were preparing for that quintessential American rite of passage: the high school prom. They were eighteen years old, on the threshold of adulthood and this night symbolized it all - their hopes and expectations for the future. Six years later, the wide-eyed teenagers of that fairytale night have turned into young adults with stories of broken dreams and heartache, but also of triumph and success. This unique portrait of young Americans tells what happens to the naive dreams of eighteen-year olds when they clash with the reality of economic upheaval, ethnic identity, political aspirations and personal limitations. Weaving back and forth between the prom and the present, the film provides a sobering portrait of the lives of young adults and a society where dreams are made and broken. Some stayed on track, like Kimberly, a determined young black student who became an officer in the air force. Others had to settle short of their goals, like Marianne who wanted to be a counselor in the criminal justice system but instead works for little pay at a day care center. These classmates reflect the generation reaching adulthood at the turn of the century.

Runtime

56 min

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

1998

Database

Alexander Street

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