If you were asked which city in the state of California was the third largest by area, it would take some time, if at all, before you answered California City. The city had its origins in the late 1950s when real estate developers had a grandiose idea of master-planning California's next great city, in the desert. The plans fell well short of his expectations and today the city has a population of just 14,000. Much of the city is nothing more than a ghost town and has been reclaimed by the desert.

The city and its people are the subject of “California Dreaming”, which is being screened as part of the Made In Luxembourg section of the festival. Luxembourg based director Fabrizio Maltese is perhaps better known as a film stills and portrait photographer (he has shot some iconic images of film stars for Hollywood Reporter). But this is his third documentary. He seems to have an affinity for the desert. His first film was set at the Palm Springs film festival. His second, 2016’s “50 Days In The Desert”, followed a Morocco location shoot for Belgian director Joachim Lafosse’s “White Knights”--Lafosse, incidentally, is on the international jury at this year’s Luxembourg City Film Festival.

“California Dreaming” follows a number of California City’s more colourful citizens and its community leaders. Watch the trailer here:

California Dreaming official trailer from fabrizio maltese on Vimeo.

Among them is Quebec-born blue-collar worker Jean-Paul LeBlanc, who sadly died in September last year. With his smoky voice and dogged optimism, he takes a central role in the film. LeBlanc has his personal struggles, but is determined to maintain a sense of community in the city--his efforts to stage a winter wonderland at Christmas elicit both our admiration and pity. Other characters include feisty drag queen restaurant proprietor Vic Carmona and aviation entrepreneur Norman Hill, whose down to earth and very human approach to business makes him something of a hero.

The city, therefore, offers Maltese plenty of great material as he explores the unshatterable faith in the so-called American Dream, as well as the pitfalls involved with its pursuit. In a closing sequence Maltese sets up a makeshift studio in the desert and photographs the young and the old, newcomers to, and those eager to leave, the forgotten city. They explain their aspirations and frustrations, but the audience is left with a prevailing sense of hope.

“California Dreaming” is being screened at Ciné Utopia, avenue de la Faïencerie, at 6.30 p.m. The screening will be followed by a Q&A sessions with director Fabrizio Maltese.