Still: Sweet Dreams - Ena Sendijarević

The 59th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) has announced its winning films. This year, 46 films competed for Gold and Silver Hugo Awards in different categories. Sweet Dreams** by Ena Sendijarević, picked up the Silver Hugo in the New Directors Competition. The satirical film tells an audacious tale of the tragic and delicious demise of European Colonialism, world premiered at Locarno, where it received the Leopard of best Performance for Renee Soutendijk and also won six Golden Calves at the Netherlands Film Festival. From Chicago’s jury report:

"In this wickedly biting satire, a wealthy Dutch family attempts to maintain control of their Indonesian plantation amid anti-colonial peasant revolts and labor strikes in the waning days of Dutch imperialism. The death of the plantation owner exposes the tenuous and illegitimate hold on property and power that the colonial systems established. With beautiful cinematography, exquisite casting, and an evocative soundtrack, Sendijarevic exposes a bizarre world built on a house of cards. A dark fable which reverberates through time to where we are now."

CIFF is North-America's longest running competitive film festival and the 59th edition ran from October 11 to 22. You can read about the complete Dutch line-up here and find out more about all the prize winners here.

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Production Incentive