American Dreamers

New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles – illustrious names that have always epitomised the American dream and have lost none of their appeal to this day. For many Germans, these North American metropolises are dream destinations. The dream of making it there and carving out a place for themselves amongst the rich and famous also drives the heroes and heroines of this four-part documentary series. Actress and model Linda Summer has taken the plunge from Duisburg to Los Angeles and wants to make her mark in Hollywood as an action heroine. Her big goal: to land a role in a short film alongside a two-time Emmy winner. To achieve this, Linda trains for several hours every day. Her fitness regime also includes mixed martial arts. “My biggest role model is Angelina Jolie,” says the 31-year-old, “she does all her own stunts too.” Will Linda succeed in becoming a star herself through hard work?

Doreen Thievin got into motor racing through a job as a ‘Playboy’ model. “I thought even back then that it was actually much cooler to sit in the car than to stand in front of it wearing one of those bunny costumes,” recalls the Chemnitz native. She’s made it and turned her hobby into a career. Today, Doreen lives in Las Vegas with her husband Romain, also a racing driver, where they run a racetrack together. The biggest challenge is balancing business and family life: Romain brought a son into the marriage, and they recently welcomed a little daughter of their own.

Meri Goldstein is an interior designer in New York. Born in Berlin, she specialises in designing luxury flats. But life in New York constantly presents the 30-year-old with challenges: rents are high, and Meri’s visa is due to expire soon. Only if she can successfully get photos of her projects published will she have a chance of obtaining a new talent visa.

Whether it’s Meg Ryan, Catherine Zeta-Jones or the legendary Beach Boys: they’ve all posed for celebrity photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth. He’s made it in the industry. “But if you’re not taking photos, you’re not earning any money,” says Udo. “My idea is to take my many years of expertise and use it to build a business that will also generate passive income for me.” Together with supermodel agent Thomas Zeumer, he is tackling this ambitious project: a coaching platform for women. Will their plan pay off?

The documentary series delves into a world of luxury, glamour and grand ambitions, following the four “American Dreamers” through their ups and downs. ZDF