‘The Dreamed Adventure’ Review: Valeska Grisebach’s Second Slow Western Gradually Ebbs Away
Valeska Grisebach's film 'The Dreamed Adventure' revisits the themes of her previous work, 'Western', set in the desolate town of Svilengrad. The film explores the racial and religious tensions between locals and transient workers, alongside the criminal underworld. Through the character of Said, the narrative unfolds against a backdrop of rugged landscapes and complex human interactions.
- ▪The film is set in Svilengrad, a tripoint of Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece.
- ▪It highlights the tensions between locals and transient workers in a lawless environment.
- ▪The protagonist, Said, returns to Svilengrad to confront his past while navigating a world of crime.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
German director Valeska Grisebach follows up on “Western” (2017) with a film that could justifiably have the same name. Once again she mounts a slow, Eastern Europe-set spin on the classic genre, powered by the highly specific tensions in and around a small desolate town in Svilengrad, a tripoint of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. The principal locations are the modern equivalent of a one-horse town; to prove this, our hero encounters that one horse the moment he arrives. Long barren roads are illuminated by the distant neon of attractions that no one ever visits. Cars are essential for traversing the dusty stone tracks between houses and the few other scattered points of interest. Business deals occur while seated on plastic chairs outside of trailers.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at IndieWire.
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