Program Note
Marlene suffers from horrific nightmares. One day she discovers that what she dreamed was real after she stumbled upon a hotel advertisement in an old newspaper. Drawn to the village by an unknown power, she discovers the truth of the nightmare and falls into a daze and confusion. She ends up being admitted to the hospital. Her daughter Mona, who was worried about her mother's condition, visits the village. She is treated with hospitality by the couple who owns the old-fashion hotel. However, the hotel is filled with uneasy spirits. Mona also suffers from a nightmare and approaches the reality of death.
Michael Venus's debut film, Sleep builds suspense and fear based on the setting that the boundary between reality and dream is not ambiguous but directly connected. The nightmare is visualized as space where the hidden truth that transcends time is revealed, and space where the psychological reality of Marlene and Mona unfolds. The violent values and blind faith that settled behind the tranquility of the small-town creeps up. (Jin PARK)