Ain't Living in America

Simone Müller puts on her self-made traditional Cheyenne outfit. She tells us about her longing to visit the Western United States. We join her in a get-together with fellow hobbyists as they gather around the fireplace of a tipi in their suburb garden to get lost in play. Yara, an internationally successful western rider from the Ruhr, dresses in her sequined golden show outfit before training with her appaloosa mare Casey. She tells us about her passion for Texas, where everything seems to be a little larger than life. We sit beside Kevin Derwahl, better known by his nickname “Johnson”, as he rides his wartime Jeep through the Belgian Ardennes and pay visit to a stretch of forest that saw heavy fighting during of the Battle of the Bulge. What they all share, beside their passion for America, is the notion that all this is not necessarily about a worldly place…

Directed by Manuel Liebscher, Ain't Living in America leans on a strong ensemble — Kevin "Johnson" Derwahl, Simone Müller, Yara Deeb — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2021.