The world of arts and entertainment has long been a globalized affair. And film production is not an exception. Elements on and behind the scene are put together from worldwide sources. Music scores for films, for example, are written by a Russian in Austria or Germany, recorded in England and then edited in Canada. Likewise, locations and scenes are increasingly set in Eastern European countries--to take advantage of the low-cost, skilled labor of make-up artists, set builders, engineers or assistant cameramen. China and North Korea are now top producers of animation and special effects. Dubai is trying to replace Cairo as a production centre for the Arab world.

Many foreign actors (Sophia Loren, Omar Sharif or Marlene Dietrich are a few memorable names) have passed through Rome and tinsel town in search of highest pay for acting jobs. And the search for foreign talent is not limited to the American film industry where demand for celebrities is strong. Many popular musicians and singers (The Rolling Stones, Celine Dion), orchestra directors (Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur) or comedians (Bob Hope) in America are foreign-born. Similarly, American television newscast personalities that mix acting and information are routinely hired from abroad.

But I speculate if this PostGlobal question has a deeper root in the unexplainable celebrity culture of America, where the boundary between fiction and real life is has faded and a disconnect from reality has formed a surreal bubble. After all, an actor was elected president and he is credited with the real ending of tensions and the distrust of the Cold War-- all with a simple personal chat with his top adversary. Some two decades later, a foreign-born actor with a thick Austrian accent has stepped into Ronald Reagan’s place to govern California, host parties for the film industry, and sue the federal government on the principle of federalism and the danger of global warming.

Perhaps these questions address a deeper concern than its face value, and it all depends whether we can distinguish facts from fiction. Cultural exchanges and the arts intend to bridge the gap and remove misunderstandings. It would be a pity to let xenophobic hype block the way.