Debate X NZIFF #2: Dreams (Sex Love)

DEBATE X NZIFF | REVIEW | WEB EXCLUSIVE

Written by Vik Sazhina (she/they) | @vik.sazhina | Contributing Writer

The category is sapphic yearning, and you’re up against 16-year-old Johanne who has accidentally fallen head over heels for her French teacher and decided to document it in writing. Chances are, you’ve probably already lost.

Dag Johan Haugerud’s Dreams (Sex Love) (2024) delves into the complexities of first love, discovering your sexuality and the fine line between dreams and reality. Johanne’s delusional thinking and far-fetched presumptions about the reciprocity of her relationship with her crush was not only comical because it was so ridiculous, but also because unfortunately it hit a little too close to home. From the constant questioning of what is real and what is not, to getting so lost in your feelings that you don’t even care anymore, I just had to laugh watching it, because my experiences with love and relationships have been strikingly similar (minus the teacher part, of course). In the context of sapphic love in particular, Johanne’s thought process felt particularly true to the experience, which I thought was a great step towards destigmatising the representation of sapphic relationships in media. The choice to turn her heartbreak into something tangible through her writing was also a very vulnerable, yet effective way to convey the intensity of her feelings.

Although Johanne is the primary focus of the film’s storyline, the interactions between her mother and grandmother were a personal highlight for me - not only because of the closeness of their relationship, but because Johanne’s writing prompts their own discussions about love and dreams, that makes me feel as though I know these people personally. Dreams (Sex Love) is a film I know I will consistently keep coming back to, not only because of the way it tackles love and sexuality, but also for its likeable characters and a storyline that feels personal and familiar.