By Sweet Dreams by Ena Sendijarevi has chosen by the Netherlands. As its official submission for the international feature film category at the 2024 Oscars.
Dutch actress Renée Soutendijk won the best performance prize at the Locarno Film Festival in August. Where the movie had its world premiere the Toronto International Film Festival will host the North American debut.
Sweet Dreams
Firstly, a summary of the film states. The film is an audacious tale of the tragic and delicious demise of European colonialism. It combines unforgiving satire with lavish aesthetics.
Dutch sugar plantation owner Jan and his wife Agathe are at the top of the food chain on an Indonesian island in 1900.
Up until Jan unexpectedly passes away upon his return from his nightly visit to his native concubine Siti. Agathe coerces her son Cornelis and his expectant wife Josefien to leave Europe and take over the family business in order to maintain her status quo.
While a workers’ uprising is in underway, Cornelis demonstrates his plans for progressive reform. Ideals, however, prove to be useless when Jan’s will places Siti at the head of the family estate and shows that blood is thicker than water.
Take Me Somewhere Nice was Sendijarevi’s first motion picture in 2019. The filmmaker exclaimed, “What a privilege and joy for Sweet Dreams to be chosen as the official Dutch selection for the Academy Awards.”
I wanted to use this film to poke fun at the end of Dutch colonialism. I’m thrilled about the support and exposure it will give our movie and its subject.
Lemming Film, a Dutch production company, worked with TikTak Productions, the Dutch broadcaster VPRO, and Sweden’s Plattform Produktion, Indonesia’s Talamedia, and the Netherlands’ Film Vast (SE) to create Sweet Dreams.
The Swedish Film Institute, La Region Reunion, CNC Tax Rebate International Productions, Creative Europe Media, Netherlands Film Fund, Netherlands Film Production Incentive, and CoBo Fund all provided funding for the movie. Heretic is in charge of sales abroad.
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