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
Searching for Satyrus
Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Rena Effendi embarks on a quest to track down the very rare Satyrus Effendi, a butterfly discovered by her father in the mountains of Aberbaijain. But what she finds is altogether more personal, and more upsetting.
Naomi Osaka: The Second Set + Q&A
Kat Jayme, a VIFF audience favourite for The Grizzlie Truth, I'm Just Here for the Riot and Finding Big Country is back with another sports doc, a portrait of the Japanese tennis great Naomi Osaka as she returns to the court after becoming a mom.
Palimpsest: The Story of a Name
Drawing on home movies and diaries from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s, Canadian filmmaker Mary Stephen (Eric Rohmer's editor for many years) investigates the origins of her surname. After all, she was born in Hong Kong to Chinese parents. Or were they... ?
Cookie Queens
A documentary about the annual Girl Scouts' cookie sale is probably not high on your list of must-sees, but don't be too sure — this movie is a delight, a rare celebration of girlhood, supportive family relations, and the art of salesmanship.
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.