After moving to Los Angeles in 1992, a nine-year-old Iranian boy wants to impress his new classmates with a pair of Air Jordan basketball shoes, thinking they will make him fly like Michael Jordan!
SYNOPSIS
Los Angeles, 1992. Nine year-old Kamron and his family have just moved to the country from Iran in search of the American Dream. Kamron’s father struggles to maintain dignity in his search for a job, his mother wants to keep Persian traditions alive, while Kamron is thrust into the hip-hop culture of the 90s. Left out of the recess basketball games, Kamron fantasizes about impressing his classmates with high-flying dunks - if only he had the right shoes to pull them off! With the Persian New Year approaching, Kamron is certain that his parents will grant his wish and buy him the new Air Jordans, but when his parents can't afford the pricey shoes Kamron is disappointed with a box of budget sneakers. Kamron decides to take matters into his own hands - he’ll get those Air Jordans one way or another, even if it means breaking the law and putting everything his family has worked for at risk...
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
When I first moved to this country it was very hard for me to fit in with the kids. Then one day, someone asked me if I wanted to play basketball. I had never played this great American sport, but I grew up watching Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. This game represented America to me, and the 1992 Olympic Dream Team made it a global phenomenon. My parents moved to this country with almost nothing and put everything they had into creating a better life for our family. This drive and determination has been a major force of inspiration for me throughout the years. The American Dream is what brought my family to this country, and Kamron’s desire for the Air Jordans is the representation of that. He dreams of playing basketball, of becoming like the mythical players he has watched on TV, and he thinks it’s as simple as a new pair of shoes. What Kamron learns is that the shoes can’t fulfill that dream, but instead hard work, determination, and patience can make him a better basketball player. The film centers around the universal theme of being an outsider and wanting to fit in, and the story is an empowering coming of age moment very close to my heart.