The Dreamed Adventure

Said (Syuleyman Halil Letifov) arrives in a border town he left long ago, searching for a contact to conduct a deal. Shortly after his arrival his car is stolen, but he soon meets a woman, Veska (Yana Radeva), with whom he has a complex past. Together they head to Matochina where she is digging for 14th and 15th century artefacts. In this corner of the world – the border region between Bulgaria, Türkiye and Greece – law and order is minimal and local heavy, Iliya, runs the town with barely concealed menace. When Said disappears, Veska continues on his perilous adventure, forcing her to contend with her past and her desires. Much of the joy in Veska's pursuit is to be found in extended scenes of her sitting with groups of locals, eating, drinking and talking – about the past and the political history of the region that still affects them all. Like with her much admired Western, also set on the Bulgarian border, The Dreamed Adventure is constructed with impeccable precision by Grisebach and features stunning images by cinematographer Bernhard Keller. In telling this story of a daring quest, Grisebach offers an incisive potted history of a tumultuous region and its people.