Sweet Dreams

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

The demise of European colonialism has never been captured in a more vibrant and aesthetically exuberant manner than in this delightfully cynical film. When the proprietor of a sugar cane plantation on an Indonesian island falls to his death after a late-night visit to his housekeeper, mistress, and mother of his illegitimate child, his family is faced with unprecedented trials, including a workers’ revolt and a society and place that had never truly embraced their presence. As is often the case when a delicate equilibrium is disturbed, the true nature of people, their primal instincts, and the battle for dominance will take center stage, yielding unforeseen consequences. Examining history with a clearly skewed and meta perspective, Sweet Dreams unravels the toxic nature of an unethical exploitation system with intelligence and style, in this ironic and penetrating social thriller, becoming a bizarre yet exceptional cinematic gem.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Available at the Agora Market TIFF64.

Direction: Ena Sendijarević

Script: Ena Sendijarević

Cinematography: Emo Weemhoff

Editing: Lot Rossmark

Sound: Vincent Sinceretti

Music: Martial Foe

Actors: Renée Soutendijk, Hayati Azis, Lisa Zweerman, Florian Myjer, Muhammad Khan, Hans Dagelet

Production: Lemming Film

Producers: Erik Glijnis, Leontine Petit

Co-production: Plattform Produktion, VPRO, Film ï Vast, Tala Media

Co-producers: Erik Hemmendorff, Kristina Börjeson, Mandy Marahimin, Martien Vlietman

Costumes: Bernadette Corstens

Production Design: Myrte Beltman

Executive producer: Judy Tossell, Laurent Médéa, Ena Sendijarević

Make Up: Evalotte Oosterop

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: The Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia, France

Production Year: 2023

Duration: 98'

Contact: Heretic

Awards/Distinctions: Best Performance Award (Renée Soutendijk) – Locarno IFF 2023

Ena Sendijarević

Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Ena Sendijarević drew attention with her feature debut Take Me Somewhere Nice, an idiosyncratic and absurdist European road movie that was selected for the Acid competition at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam. Earlier, she attracted international attention with her short film Import, which had its world premiere in Cannes’ Quinzaine selection. Sweet Dreams, written, directed, and exec-produced by her, is her second feature.