I RARELY WAKE UP DREAMING
A film by Isabelle Stever
Screenplay : Anna Melikova
Produced by Uwe Schott, Tom Tykwer (X-Filme Creative Pool)
Drama / 100 min / Germany, Ukraine / 2026
Language : Ukrainian
Subtitles : English
With
Tania Myronyshena, Markus Bright, Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maiia Sobolevska, Maria Myronyshena, Oleksandr Rudynskyi
P&A
AVAILABLE SOON
Presskit
AVAILABLE SOON
Reviews
“German director Isabelle Stever brings sensitivity and visual ingenuity to this story of a young queer couple whose life together is upended by the Russian invasion.”
“A terrifically well-shot, well-acted, uniquely challenging movie about a belief system in crisis.
[…] An entirely absorbing film.
[…] The movie’s themes could hardly be more urgent and contemporary. ”
“How does war change love? And how does the transition from peace to warfare, in parallel with a gender transition, affect a queer couple?
[…] gives audiences a chance to explore those questions, while telling a deeply personal story that unfolds amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Official selections
Locarno Film Festival – Concorso Internazionale (Switzerland)
New York Film Festival – Main Slate (USA)
Synopsis
The love of Olya and Oleh, a young queer Ukrainian couple, is put to the test when one partner’s gender transition collides with Russia’s full-scale invasion. As war narrows and challenges the boundaries of masculinity and femininity, they struggle to preserve their bond and sense of self. What does it mean to be a man in a country that is fighting for its identity and survival?
“We, a Ukrainian-German filmmaker duo, place war’s brutality against the fragile quiet. Inspired by our friends’ journey through gender transition and by cast and crew experiences, we explore the transition of war into everyday life.”
OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL TRAILER
COMING SOON
SCREENER
Date
31 July 2026
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