LAND of Dreams: In cinemas now!
Finally: Shirin Neshat's surreal USA road trip "Land of Dreams" opens in German cinemas on November 3rd! Already last week Shirin Neshat went on a sold-out premiere tour with her feature film and was a guest in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Munich. During the film discussions, the Iranian-American director was also asked about the political events in Iran and found clear words: She emphasized the importance of the demonstrations in Germany as a sign of solidarity and called on politicians to take consistent action against the Iranian regime. In addition, Shirin Neshat drew parallels to "Land of Dreams", in which an Iranian migrant has to find her way in an authoritarian surveillance state. A film that could not be more relevant!
Synopsis: In a near future, the United States has sealed off its external borders. The Census Bureau - the main agency of the authoritarian government - is developing a comprehensive program to better understand and control its citizens: It records their dreams. Simin (Sheila Vand) also works as a logger or so-called "dream catcher". With the cynical bodyguard Alan (Matt Dillon) at her side, she drives through the Midwest and collects the sometimes bizarre dreams of the people (played by Anna Gunn, Isabella Rossellini, William Moseley, among others), which often hold bitter truths. Simin processes these encounters, as well as her own trauma as an Iranian migrant, by taking on the roles of the dreamers, acting them out in Farsi and sharing them on social media. As time goes on, she suspects the perfidious intentions of the Census Bureau and learns that the line between dream and reality is often startlingly thin.
»"Land of Dreams" is a great political metaphor that produces strong images and is imbued with a clear attitude. In these weeks, in which the Mullah regime in Iran is tottering and the election campaign is raging in the USA, the film has taken on a special relevance!« junge welt