A Trans Man, a War, and an Impossible Choice: 'I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming' Lands at Locarno
A Germany-Ukraine co-production premiering in the main competition at the 79th Locarno Film Festival takes one of the most charged premises on this year's festival circuit: a fully transitioned trans man in wartime Ukraine facing military conscription while his wife pushes him to revert to a female presentation so they can flee to the EU.
"I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming" is the second feature collaboration between Ukrainian writer Anna Melikova and German director Isabelle Stever, who are married to each other. Their first film together was "Grand Jeté." The new film runs 100 minutes and screens in Ukrainian with subtitles, according to the Locarno festival programme. Produced by Tom Tykwer and Uwe Schott through X Filme Creative Pool GmbH, it had its festival screening on 7 August at Palexpo (FEVI), followed by a free 20-minute Q&A at the Forum @Spazio Cinema.
The story follows Oleh, played by Markus Bright, and his wife Olya, played by Tania Myronyshena. Before Oleh's transition, the two were a lesbian couple. Oleh has had top surgery but not bottom surgery. Olya's mother Maryna, played by Iryna Mak, believes Oleh is a cis man — someone whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. As Ukraine's wartime draft sweeps up most of the country's cis male population, Olya sees emigration to the European Union as the couple's only escape, even if it means Oleh presenting as female again. Melikova and Stever drew on friends' experiences in Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion, according to The Hollywood Reporter's review published 13 August.
Most of the cast, including the two leads, are non-professional actors. The ensemble also features Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maiia Sobolevska, Maria Myronyshena, and Oleksandr Rudynskyi.
Filming during an active war meant safety was a constant concern. Stever told Variety, in an interview published 11 August, that managing multiple safety risks on set was a major priority throughout production. The film is a 2026-dated Germany-Ukraine co-production.
The festival journey is already extending beyond Switzerland. The Film at Lincoln Center website confirms "I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming" as part of the 64th New York Film Festival's Main Slate, announced 5 August. The NYFF synopsis describes the film as centring on a young couple navigating newly redefined waters in their relationship. Variety's own review, published 8 August, called it an affecting trans relationship drama that brings a fresh perspective to the war in Ukraine.
Cineuropa also hosts a clip and review of the film, adding to the critical conversation building around a title that starts from a premise few festival films have attempted.
