For many nights, The Censor and his team have been moderating a woman’s dreams to keep them in safe territory. Tonight, nothing happens as planned. Starting with a wonderfully novel opening shot, this is a surreal, conceptual work that offers an original backstory to a person working through inner torments. The film is endlessly inventive, like a Charlie Kaufman-esque fever dream where moments of absurdity and drama collide. Astonishingly ambitious, Censor of Dreams is a magnificent display of creativity and what cinema is truly capable of when entrusted to the right hands.
Community Partner
Damien Bonnard, Yoko Higashi, Sylvain Katan, Alexis Rodney
France
2021
In French and English with English subtitles
Featured in:
International Shorts: Having a Bad Day
Misadventures, bad choices, and a series of unfortunate events are all present in this program of short films. There is some serious drama and a bit of comedy on display in these exhilarating, thoughtful, and unpredictable tales.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Alipato At Muog (Flying Embers & A Fortress)
Burgos' impassioned documentary about the military abduction of his brother Jonas, an activist and organizer, and the subsequent cover-up, recently became only the second doc to win the Filipino Academy Award for Best Film.
Le rêve américain
This French crowdpleaser about a couple of nobodies who set themselves up as basketball player agents hits all the right story beats. You wouldn't believe it except that it happens to be true.
Image: © Mika Cotellon
Time and Water
Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) turns her attentions from volcanoes to glaciers in this singular, personal collaboration with the Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason, who ruminates on the loss of ties to family and to landscape.
Mistura
This foodie film from Peru tells the story of a newly single socialite reinventing herself — and the local cuisine — after her husband has left her for a younger woman. Along the way, she finds support from unexpected places...
Another World
This hit anime from Hong Kong gives us an unpredictable, sometimes darkly karmic tale taking place on either side of the afterlife involving a headstrong princess with bad karma and the spirit guide who tries to help her get on a better path.
Credits
Executive Producer
Camille Lambert, Albert Zurashvili
Producer
Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Mourad Belkeddar, Jean Duhamel, Nicolas Lhermitte
Screenwriter
Léo Berne, Raphaël Rodriguez
Cinematography
Khalib Mohtaseb
Editor
Laure Saint-Marc
Production Design
Marco Puig
Directors
Léo Berne
Léo Berne was born and raised in Aix-en-Provence, France. In 2009, he co-founded the award-winning collective Megaforce, and they have directed campaigns and music videos for Rihanna, Madonna, Tame Impala, Kid Cudi, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among others. They wrote and directed Burberry’s Festive campaign and the Lacoste film Crocodile inside, which garnered Gold and the Grand Prix respectively at the Cannes Lions in 2021. As a photographer, he has shot fashion editorials for Jalouse, L’Officiel, and Madame Figaro Japan. He released his second photobook, Je t’aime je t’aime, in November 2021.
Raphaël Rodriguez
After studying graphic design in Paris, Raphaël Rodriguez worked on various artistic editorials, musical and videos projects for popular indie French labels and bands, including Because Music and Scratch Massive. In 2009, he co-founded the award-winning collective Megaforce, and they have directed campaigns and music videos for Rihanna, Madonna, Tame Impala, Kid Cudi, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among others. They wrote and directed Burberry’s Festive campaign and the Lacoste film Crocodile inside, which garnered Gold and the Grand Prix respectively at the Cannes Lions in 2021.