The Dreamed Adventure

Almost a decade after Western, Valeska Grisebach returns with this similarly rough-hewn, simmering tale of border town intrigue that claimed the Cannes Jury Prize.

The ostensibly sleepy town of Svilengrad sits on the Bulgarian border, with Türkiye to the east and Greece to the south. The laconic Said has hardly been there a day when his car is stolen. Not that it appears to bother him unduly – this rangy former local is an unruffled sort, returned, it seems, to broker a shady fuel deal. A chance encounter reunites him with Veska, an old acquaintance who’s in town helming an archaeological dig. Her attraction to Said sees her venture dangerously deep into Svilengrad’s boozy, machismo-laden underworld.

Awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes, The Dreamed Adventure is as sinewy, assured and enigmatic as Said, played by the striking non-professional actor Syuleyman Letifov (Western, MIFF 2017), while the brilliant Yana Radeva gradually takes centre stage in the film as Veska. In this sprawling, arid noir, the latent threat of violence charges even minor gestures, whether it be the pouring of another drink, the lighting of another cigarette or the simple act of leaning back in a plastic lawn chair. It’s a subtly masterful work, well worth the long wait.

Content: Melbourne International Film Festival