LAS VEGAS: LAST OASIS IN AMERICA

Directed by Maxi Cohen

1983 / 22min

Las Vegas: Last Oasis in America is an irreverent exploration of this uniquely American city, which thrives on transience and celebrates wealth and instant success. Cohen's tour of Las Vegas includes a visit to the Liberace Museum, where the pianist's brother treats Cohen and her crew to a reverential look at Liberace memorabilia, as well as the casinos where patrons gather with intense concentration at the gaming tables. Cohen portrays a culture of high expectations and inevitable disappointment, exhibiting humor and empathy for the people who win and lose in the money-society of "the strip."