Berlin sales outfit M-Appeal has sealed further deals for Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Dreams,” as well as additional sales for “Sex” and “Love,” the other films in the director’s trilogy.
“Dreams” follows Johanne, a young woman who documents her first love — an infatuation with her teacher — through intimate writing. When her mother and grandmother discover her work, their initial shock turns to recognition of its literary merit. As they weigh publishing it, Johanne is forced to reconcile fantasy with reality, while all three women explore their differing perspectives on love, sexuality and self-discovery.
Vendetta Films has acquired the trilogy for Australia and New Zealand. “We fell in love with ‘Dreams’ and we think this unique and mystery-filled spin on the age-old tale of a student falling for their teacher is perfect for modern audiences. We’re so excited to bring Dag Johan Haugerud’s trilogy to screens across Australia and New Zealand,” Jill Macnab, general manager of Vendetta Films, told Variety.
In Mexico, the trilogy will be released by Cinemas Nueva Era, and Edko Films has picked up the trilogy for Hong Kong ahead of the Hong Kong International Film Festival in April, where “Dreams” will screen as the closing film. Ukraine’s SVOEkino has also acquired the trilogy.
South Korea’s JINJIN Pictures, which previously acquired “Sex,” the trilogy’s first installment, has now picked up “Love” and “Dreams” to complete the set.
In Singapore, the trilogy has been acquired by Anticipate Pictures, whose recent releases include “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and “Anatomy of a Fall.” The three films will be released in the second half of 2025. “Whimsical yet incisive, this trilogy introduces fresh concepts of love, sex and dreams in ways that will surprise and stimulate our Singapore audience,” Vincent Quek, founder of Anticipate Pictures, said.
Further new sales for “Dreams” include Cineplex, covering Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru, and Falcon Pictures, which has acquired “Dreams” and “Love” for Indonesia.
All distributors will release the films theatrically.
“We are delighted to have secured such strong theatrical partnerships for the film,” said Maren Kroymann, managing director of M-Appeal. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our team’s efforts and the long-term strategy we’ve developed over the past year for the trilogy come to fruition.”
The “Sex Love Dreams” trilogy was produced by Yngve Sæther and Hege Hauff Hvattum for Motlys. The films were supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordic Film and TV Fund, and the promotion activities for the trilogy were supported by MEDIA funding from the European Union.
Previously announced deals for “Dreams” include North America (Strand Releasing), France (Pyramide), Germany and Austria (Alamode), U.K. (Modern Films), Portugal (Films4You), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Japan (Bitters End) and Bulgaria (Beta Films).
