Sweet Dreams - English subtitled
In this bittersweet colonial family drama starring Renée Soutendijk, the death of a Dutch sugar manufacturer leads to an exuberant cat-and-mouse game. The film received the record number of six 'Gouden Kalveren' as did Brimstone in 2017.
In her second film, Bosnian-Dutch director Ena Sendijarevic (TAKE ME SOMEWHERE NICE) delves into the Dutch colonial past. On a secluded Indonesian island, amidst the last convulsions of the colonial era, Dutch sugar factory owner Jan suddenly drops dead before the eyes of his wife Agathe. Their alienated son Cornelis and his heavily pregnant wife Josefien arrive from the Netherlands to take over the family business. Much to everyone’s dismay, Jan’s concubine Siti turns out to play a key role in his last will. In the old world, principles appear to be fluid and pretty soon blood is thicker than water.
Like the plantation owner, European colonialism is doomed in this satire, which was chosen as the opening film of the Netherlands Film Festival. At its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival, it was received well by the international press, and Renée Soutendijk won the award for best acting performance.