« They say New York ain´t too far from here. »
« How far is it ? »
« I´m not for sure … they say we´re not very far from New York … I don´t know, I think it´s out that way somewhere. »
In April 2003, while the war with Iraq was at its peak, Andreas Horvath went straight to the « heart » , of America, the Midwest, looking for answers to his questions about the reasons for this war ... « Small town America at its best » reads a huge road sign that stands out against the flatness of never ending fields. America is at war, but the inhabitants of « small town America » have their own concerns. As the film progresses the reputedly friendly and serene Heartland (which many say is the true America) gradually turns into a vast hinterland in which the quest for discussion becomes a futile odyssey. The people here see their idyll endangered by foreigners (i.e. potential terrorists) and the author´s sometimes begging questions for compassion for the killed civilians in Iraq remain mostly unanswered: « The civilians ? We told the whole world we were gonna do it … They should have got out of the way » .
In this secluded part of the world the real war in Iraq is inevitably more distant than the vague - but nevertheless popular - « projections of war » in Demolition Derbies and Civil War Reenactments. When it comes to sources of information, a citizen proudly lists his two favourite choices : the local newspaper (which comes once a week) and Sci-Fi Channel (which broadcasts 24/7). Under these circumstances it only seems logical that some people here are convinced Saddam « took New York » , while obviously having problems pointing in the right direction when indicating the remote city.
