''A Different American Dream'' is a 2016 American documentary film by Simon Brook and

Jane I. Wells Jane I. Wells is a documentary filmmaker and activist whose films focus on global human rights and social justice issues. She has produced over 40 short films including the award-winning shorts ''I'm a Victim, Not a Criminal'' (2010), ''Lost ...

. It was produced by 3 Generations and Brook Productions. In 2016, the film was selected for a number of festivals, including the

Thessaloniki International Film Festival The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), organized by the cultural institution of the same name under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, is held every November in Thessaloniki.TIFF features international competition secti ...

, the

Margaret Mead Film Festival The Margaret Mead Film Festival is an annual film festival held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is the longest-running, premiere showcase for international documentaries in the United States, encompassing a broad spec ...

and the

Reykjavík International Film Festival Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF; is, Alþjóðleg kvikmyndahátíð í Reykjavík ) is an international film festival held annually in Reykjavík, Iceland. The festival lasts 11 days each year and emphasizes young talents. One way o ...

Synopsis

The documentary focuses on the inhabitants of the

Fort Berthold Indian Reservation The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is a U.S. Indian reservation in western North Dakota that is home for the federally recognized Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. The reservation includes lands on ...

in the

Badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

as their lives, their communities and their environment are profoundly transformed by the

tight oil Tight oil (also known as shale oil, shale-hosted oil or light tight oil, abbreviated LTO) is light crude oil contained in unconventional petroleum-bearing formations of low permeability, often shale or tight sandstone. Economic production from ...

(shale oil) industry that promises wealth but sometimes delivers devastation.

References

American documentary films 2016 films Films shot in North Dakota Films set in North Dakota 2010s American films {{2010s-documentary-film-stub