Sam Rega has directed a Netflix documentary about Indian Americans' striking success in spelling bees. This year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, which was scheduled to take place in May, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 may well have been the only force capable of preventing an Indian American competitor from winning the contest for the 13th year in a row. Americans of Indian descent make up about one per cent of the population, but they comprise 26 of 31 most recent winners. The new documentary Spelling the Dream celebrates this collective accomplishment while providing some cultural explanations for Indian Americans' continued dominance in the televised tournament. The director follows four hopefuls for the 2017 Scripps spelling bee, ranging from age seven-14. Indeed, the film features many scenes of parental tenderness and supportiveness – images lacking in so many mainstream narratives about Asian American families. The cultural hypothesis is the film's primary selling point, which Rega makes substantive but zippy and accessible. They pointed to the unique history of Indian immigration to America, starting in 1965, when race-based immigration quotas were lifted. Subsequently, many educated and enterprising Indians moved to the U.S., where, naturally, they wanted their children to succeed. The televising of the Scripps bee on ESPN, allowed Indian American children to see a version of themselves for the first time onscreen, inspiring them to participate as well.

– Compilation