SWEET DREAMS / FAI BEI SOGNI

In fact, "sweet dreams" are the two exact words that little Massimo’s mother whispered into his ear while he was sleeping, before she took her last breath. Indeed, on the morning of 31 December 1969 in Turin, the nine-year-old wakes up to discover that his mother has died from a massive heart attack. His life changes overnight. The explanations offered by his stern father will forever be ambiguous and evasive. And this shy little boy, who had found a radiant playmate and friend in his mother, is forced to grow up under that dark cloud. Becoming ever more introverted, he seeks refuge in his own imagination.

Workin“g with cinematographer Daniele Ciprì for the fourth time, Bellocchio wraps his film in a delicate gauze of memory while remaining sensitive to the present-day struggles of his protagonist. This is perhaps the most nakedly emotional film we have seen from Bellocchio, but it completely avoids cheap melodrama. Sweet Dreams is a deeply felt work that will resonate with anyone who has dealt with loss. In other words, most everyone.“

Piers Handling, Toronto International Film Festival