First look of Valeska Grisebach’s The Dreamed Adventure’ Premiering at Cannes

Here is the first look image of The Dreamed Adventure, the latest feature film from Valeska Grisebach, selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival as part of this year’s official Competition.

Set in a border town in southeastern Bulgaria, Yana Radeva stars as a woman who becomes involved in an illegal trade to help out a man with whom she shares a special bond. Embarking on a perilous adventure in his stead, she ends up confronting both her own desires and her past. Also starring in the film is Syuleyman Halil Letifov.

Director Grisebach commented on the Cannes debut, saying, “Being invited to the competition at the Cannes Film Festival fills me and the entire team with great joy. The starting point for this film was my encounters with people of my generation who experienced the political changes in Bulgaria in 1989. They showed me how deeply this turning point in Europe connects us — and at the same time divides us, through the very different experiences that followed in the years after. I’m especially proud of the ensemble: the actors who, with all their imagination, life experience, courage, and dedication, brought this story to life, above all our lead actress Yana Radeva. That The Dreamed Adventure is now celebrating its world premiere in Cannes is a huge gift to all of us.”

Valeska Grisebach made her debut with her graduation film Mein Stern, which was nominated for the Adolf Grimme Prize in 2002 and won the Critics’ Award at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as the Grand Prize at the Torino Film Festival. Her second feature film, Sehnsucht, premiered in the Berlinale competition in 2006. The film received numerous awards at international festivals, including the Special Jury Award in Buenos Aires, the Grand Prix Asturias at the Gijón International Film Festival, and the Special Jury Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival. Her third feature film, Western premiered in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and received, among other honors, the German Film Critics’ Award for Best Feature Film.

The Match Factory will handle international sales for The Dreamed Adventure.

Written and directed by Valeska Grisebach the film stars Yana Radeva and Syuleyman Halil Letifov (Western). It is produced by Komplizen Film in Co-production with Kazak Productions, Miramar Film, Panama Film, Valeska Grisebach, New Matter Films, ARTE France Cinéma and ZDF/ARTE and in collaboration with ARTE France. The film was supported by Der Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmförderungsanstalt, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Creative Europe MEDIA, Aide aux cinémas du monde, Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Institut français, Bulgarian National Film Center, Österreichisches Filminstitut und ÖFI+, Filmfonds Wien.