Maineland

Miao Wang's documentary follows two Chinese youngsters—extrovert Stella from Shanghai and almost painfully reserved Harry from Guangzhou—who come to the United States to study at Fryeburg Academy (a prestigious prep school in rural Maine, founded in 1792), which has for some years been recruiting Asian students from affluent families—Japanese, South Korean, and Chinese—to fill its classes as American enrollment declines. The first section of the film shows Christopher Hibbard, the school's admissions director, visiting China to interview prospective students, whose parents often want their children to leave the rigid mainland educational system in favor of one that emphasizes independent critical thinking. Not incidentally, Fryeburg will also better prepare these students to apply to American universities (and gain tools required in international business). Stella arrives in 2012 after suffering the personal setback of her parents' divorce, but her natural exuberance soon finds her socializing and even joining the cheerleading squad. By contrast Harry keeps more to himself, playing the piano and attending to his studies—including researching the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre for a course project. Wang follows the pair up through their graduation in 2016, interviewing both periodically about culture shock and assimilation and also following each back home on vacations. In the end, while Stella and Harry are thankful for the opportunities that Fryeburg provided, both retain a strong sense of attachment to their families and their homeland. Although technically a bit ragged, Maineland provides an interesting glimpse of one way in which today's Chinese youth are making contact with the Western world. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)