Schlaf

Every night in her dreams, Marlene finds herself in a forest hotel surrounded by dark fir trees. One day, when she spots the very hotel in an ad, she travels to the idyllic village of Stainbach to confront her paranoia – against the advice of her daughter Mona. Overwhelmed by her impressions, Marlene falls into a stupor, a shock-induced paralysis triggered by a trauma. Full of worry, Mona follows her mother and begins to investigate. She stumbles upon a dark family secret and soon finds herself caught in a dark-dream maelstrom. Interspersed with elements of horror and fairy tale, director Michael Venus’ psycho-trip skillfully plays with the boundaries between dream and reality, and delivers an antithesis to the German Heimatfilm.