The premiere of “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” at the Locarno Film Festival has introduced a searing exploration of the intersection between geopolitical conflict and the internal struggles of identity. Directed by Isabelle Stever and written by Anna Melikova, the film moves beyond the traditional tropes of war cinema to examine how the chaos of the Ukrainian frontline intersects with the complexities of gender identity and the broader “culture war.” By centering its narrative on the intimate friction between two individuals attempting to navigate an escaping reality, the film serves as a critical examination of who is permitted to seek safety and how identity is weaponized or erased during times of national crisis.
The narrative follows a couple attempting to flee Ukraine as the Russian invasion begins. While the backdrop is one of systemic collapse and military aggression, the primary tension of the film is driven by the couple’s internal dynamics and the external challenges they face regarding gender identity. As they navigate the bureaucracy of evacuation and the physical dangers of a war zone, the film highlights the specific vulnerabilities of those who do not fit traditional societal molds. The struggle to leave the country becomes a metaphor for the struggle to be seen and recognized as a whole human being in a society that is suddenly demanding rigid adherence to nationalistic and traditional roles for the sake of survival.
The film has been described by The Guardian as “entirely absorbing,” noting its ability to dive deep into the culture war while remaining grounded in the visceral reality of the Ukrainian experience. Rather than treating the “culture war” as an abstract political debate, Stever and Melikova present it as a lived reality where the right to identity can become a secondary concern to physical survival, yet remains an essential component of the human spirit.
Analysis:
The significance of “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” lies in its refusal to simplify the Ukrainian conflict into a binary struggle of state versus state. By introducing the element of gender identity into a war narrative, the film challenges the dominant media framing of the conflict, which often prioritizes a monolithic image of national unity. In doing so, it scrutinizes the internal pressures within a society under siege—specifically how the urgency of war can be used to marginalize those who deviate from traditional norms.
The collaboration between German director Isabelle Stever and Ukrainian critic-turned-screenwriter Anna Melikova is central to the film’s efficacy. This partnership prevents the movie from falling into the trap of “disaster tourism” or an external gaze that exoticizes Ukrainian suffering. Melikova’s background as a critic and her deep ties to the region provide a layer of authenticity and local expertise that grounds Stever’s directorial vision. The result is a synthesis of international cinematic language and raw, local truth, ensuring that the film’s exploration of identity is not an imposition of Western liberal values, but a reflection of the actual tensions present within the Ukrainian social fabric.
Furthermore, the film examines the paradox of the “culture war” in a zone of actual war. While debates over identity and gender are often framed in the West as luxury concerns or academic exercises, “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” demonstrates that these issues are existential. When the state controls the borders, the permits, and the means of escape, identity becomes a matter of life and death. The film suggests that the “culture war” is not a distraction from the war of attrition, but a parallel conflict that determines who is protected and who is left behind.
The backdrop of the Locarno Film Festival provides a critical platform for this work, signaling a shift in how international cinema is addressing the conflict in Eastern Europe. By prioritizing a story about gender and identity over a traditional military epic, the festival highlights a growing demand for narratives that hold a mirror to the internal contradictions of the nations involved in global conflicts.
As the film moves toward wider distribution, the primary point of interest will be how it is received within Ukraine and among the global diaspora. The tension between the need for a unified national front during wartime and the necessity of protecting marginalized identities is a volatile subject. The film’s reception will likely serve as a barometer for the current state of the culture war within Ukraine itself, revealing whether the shared trauma of invasion has fostered a more inclusive society or reinforced traditionalist hierarchies.
Additionally, observers should watch for how the film is framed by corporate media outlets. There is a risk that the film’s nuanced critique of identity and power could be flattened into a simple “diversity” narrative, stripping away the political urgency of its commentary on state power and institutional failure. The film’s insistence on the complexity of the human experience amidst systemic violence is its strongest asset, and any attempt to sanitize this for general audiences would undermine its core purpose.
Ultimately, “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” is less a movie about the mechanics of war and more a study of the psychological toll of existing at the margins of a society in crisis. It posits that the fight for one’s identity is not separate from the fight for one’s country, but is an integral part of the broader struggle for human dignity. By weaving together the macro-level horror of invasion with the micro-level struggle for self-actualization, Stever and Melikova have created a bulletin from the frontline that is as much about the internal landscape of the soul as it is about the geography of a war-torn nation.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/09/i-rarely-wake-up-dreaming-review
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Story synopsis gathered from: Guardian International — source
