A bearded man with a stethoscope around his neck in front of a pharmacy-like shelf of pill bottles.
Dr. Robert Fox in 'Americans Smell Good.'
When he left Turkey, Emir Cakaroz told his mom he wouldn’t be in the U.S. for long. Now, 17 years later, Cakaroz has built a family and become a filmmaker. He also teaches filmmaking at UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University. He details his story in Americans Smell Good, which screens along with Wisconsin’s Own Shorts at the Bartell Theatre April 6.
“What I want to do with this film is show my life here,” Cakaroz tells Isthmus. “And with the people in the documentary, I just wanted to say thanks.”
The film begins with Cakaroz moving to America and talking to his mom long-distance; other people in his life are folded into the film, including Cecilia, a fellow filmmaker; Robert Fox, a doctor; and Jamal, a Black Lives Matter activist.
Cakaroz’s mother is a central character, always appearing over video call. She expresses concern over many things, including what food her son is eating. Cakorz says he began and ended the film with her calls to emphasize the connection between his past and his future.
The diversity of characters was intentional; Cakaroz wanted to show not only his life in America, but the lives of the people around him. One of his favorite parts was working with all of the people featured in the film. Forging friendships is a good thing, he adds: “Getting familiar with each other, we’ll be happy to understand each other.”
See more of our 2024 Wisconsin Film Fest coverage here.
