The 64th New York Film Festival (NYFF), running from September 25 to October 12, will host the North American premiere of I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming, by German director Isabelle Stever and Ukrainian screenwriter Anna Myelikova. This was reported on the festival’s website.
The screening will be part of NYFF’s Main Slate program, which showcases bold and outstanding films by renowned directors as well as new voices. In total, 32 films were selected for the program.
I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming is based on real events and tells the story of a Ukrainian queer couple. Olya has always identified as a lesbian, but now lives with her boyfriend, Oleh, who recently transitioned. These changes intersect with Russia’s full-scale invasion. Their attempt to evacuate Kyiv is complicated by strict passport policies and systemic transphobia. The film aims to explore internal and external transformations, and how society draws the boundaries between male and female.
The lead roles are played by Tanya Myronysheva (Olya) and Markus Breit (Oleh). Supporting roles are performed by Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maya Sobolevska, Mariya Myronysheva, and Oleksandr Rudnytskyy.
The film was produced in collaboration between X-Filme, the production company of German director and screenwriter Tom Tykwer, and the Ukrainian company 2Brave Productions, led by Olha Brehman and Nataliya Libet.
As a reminder, the film’s world premiere took place at the Locarno Film Festival, which runs from August 5 to 15. It was nominated for the festival’s Pardo for Change award, which honors films that address pressing environmental, ethical, social, and cultural issues of broad public importance. The winner will be announced and the awards ceremony will be held on August 15.
About the New York Film Festival:
- an annual non-competitive film festival in New York, organized by Film at Lincoln Center;
- founded in 1963.