2017 PPE Hi! My name is Daniel and I graduated from Balliol in 2020, having studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics. I loved my time at Balliol, and got very involved in college life – I was the JCR Treasurer for a year, and also organised a weekly talk series for the college, which allowed me to interact with people from all over the Balliol community. I also participated in writing and directing three of Balliol’s annual Charity Musicals, a highlight of my time at Oxford. I already miss Balliol greatly and am looking forward to getting to know the alumni community in the US! My Pathfinders project will centre around the American filmmaking industry and its historical links to the immigrant community. I’m fascinated by how the industry’s rise as a cultural juggernaut was fuelled by immigrant storytellers and studios founded by Eastern European migrants, and how it has shaped the US’s national image, both to Americans but also the tens of millions of migrants who have arrived on its shores. I want to explore how the industry works today, and get to know the growing community of immigrant filmmakers, and why they are choosing the most American of artforms to tell their stories.