The German-Ukrainian film I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming has been included in the main program of the 64th New York Film Festival (NYFF). The film will be shown as part of the Main Slate program, which this year brought together 32 films. The New York Film Festival will run from September 25 to October 12.
This was reported by the festival’s official website..
The film by German director Isabelle Stever and Ukrainian screenwriter Anna Melikova tells the story of a young Ukrainian queer couple, Olya and Oleg. One of the partners undergoes gender transition against the backdrop of the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion. At the same time, the war changes the circumstances of the characters’ lives, and they try to preserve their relationships and their own identities.
The plot also focuses on Olia and Oleg’s attempt to leave Kyiv. The evacuation is complicated by strict passport rules and systemic transphobia.
“While they struggle with the challenges of changing their own identities, the war is gaining momentum, and their attempt to evacuate Kyiv is complicated by the country’s strict passport rules and systemic transphobia. The film, based on true events, is a gracefully shot, relevant and tender story about internal and external transformations, as well as how society delimits the boundaries of masculinity and femininity,” says the film’s description on the festival’s website.
The film stars Tanya Mironysheva, who played Olia, and Marcus Bright, who played Oleg. Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maya Sobolevskaya, Maria Mironysheva and Oleksandr Rudynskyi star in supporting roles.
The film was created by Germany and Ukraine. Its running time is 100 minutes, and the original language is Ukrainian with English subtitles.
The world premiere of I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming took place at the Locarno International Film Festival, where the film is presented in the international competition and is in the running for the Golden Leopard. The film was also nominated for the Pardo for Change Award, which is awarded to works that raise current environmental, ethical, social and cultural issues important to society. The winner of this nomination is to be announced on August 15.
The film also received high praise from the British publication The Guardian - critics gave it five stars.
Additional information
The New York Film Festival is one of the oldest and most prestigious non-competitive film festivals in the United States. It has been held by Film at Lincoln Center in New York since 1963. The main program, Main Slate, traditionally presents the works of famous directors and new authors. In addition, the festival has programs of short and experimental films, retrospectives, and screenings of restored films.
Photo: NYFF, X Flime Creative Pool GmbH
Author: Danylo Pievchev