Sweet Dreams

On a remote Indonesian island, during the waning days of the colonial era, Dutch sugar plantation owner Jan and his wife Agathe are at the top of the food chain. That is, until Jan suddenly drops dead in front of his wife. Desperate to keep the privileges of her status quo, Agathe forces her estranged son Cornelis and his heavily pregnant wife Josefien, to travel from Europe and take over the family business. In the midst of a worker’s uprising, Cornelis displays his plans for progressive change. But ideals prove to be idle, and blood thicker than water. 

Rich satire meets lavish aesthetics in Ena Sendijarević’s audacious tale of the tragic and delicious demise of Colonialism. Sweet Dreams opened the Netherlands Film Festival where it won a remarkable six awards including Best Film, Best Directing and Best Performance. It then went on to be The Netherland’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards.