The Dreamed Adventure
In Svilengrad, a small town on the Bulgarian border, Veska, crosses paths with Said, an old acquaintance whose car has been stolen. Offering her help, she brings him along to the excavation site where she is working as an archaeologist. As they reconnect, Veska is pulled more into the shady world that he (Said) has emerged from, soon embarking on her own exploration of the criminal ties that lurk beneath the surface of this seemingly innocent town at the outskirts of Europe. As figures from her own past start to close in, Veska is forced to confront the truth about the town and her experiences.
Festivals & awards
Cannes 2026: Prix du Jury
Credits
In cinemas
Schöftland
Pro Material
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Press voices
«Regisseurin Valeska Grisebach nimmt uns in betörend sogartigen Bildern mit auf eine Reise, auf der wir nicht nur die RÀnder Europas, sondern auch uns selbst neu entdecken können.» film-rezensionen
«AlltÀglich, archaisch und mythisch zugleich, nimmt sich das ErzÀhlen allen Raum.» Filmdienst
«Schon jetzt einer der besten deutschen Filme des Jahres.» Movie Pilot
«Die vielschichtige Handlung lÀsst sich organisch vor dem imposanten Landschaftspanorama treiben.» Movie Break
«Veska ist eine Heldin, die man so schnell nicht wieder vergisst.» The Spot
«A marvel - the brilliance goes bone-deep, emerging from an astonishingly new and strange filmic architecture.» Variety
«Both grittily realist and other-worldly [âŠ] relentlessly absorbing.» Screen Daily
«The Dreamed Adventure refuses shortcuts, resists predictability, and moves with a raggedy authenticity that belies its precise construction.» The New Yorker
«Filmed with consistent majesty.» IndieWire
«The Dreamed Adventure defies the expectations of the western, and instead imagines what an âEasternâ can be.» Sight and Sound
«A powerhouse performance by Yana Radeva, who summons the spirit of Gena Rowlands in Gloria as a woman determined not to be defined by men [âŠ] There arenât enough words; itâs tremendous.» Deadline
«Clearly the work of a director with a fluent, distinctive film-making language.» The Guardian
«Itâs one of the most unusual and considered works in competition, worthy of a second viewing with foreknowledge of where it ends up.» RogerEbert