Dreams are the subjects of books, movies, songs, and awkward conversations. They dominate so much of fictional storytelling, whether it’s an infamous episode of The Sopranos, the weird meat of a David Lynch movie, or a forgotten Gabrielle pop hit. But for all the talk about dreams, rarely are they portrayed vividly and accurately in popular culture (though that Sopranos episode came very close). A group of independent filmmakers sought to change that when they came together to make collective:unconscious, an anthology in which five filmmakers wrote and directed short films based on each others’ dreams. After playing the festival circuit, including SXSW and BAMcinemaFest, the film is now available for free online as released by the producer, Dan Schoenbrun.
collective:unconscious (2016) from Dan Schoenbrun on Vimeo.
The five filmmakers (Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, and Lauren Wolkstein) each adapted one another’s dreams into short films that vary in content, tone, and taste. As with most film anthologies, this one is also uneven, depending on one’s preference and tolerance for certain themes. Some are realized beautifully like an actual short film, others are a bit of a weird jumble that seems more fitting for a performance-art exhibit, and others can make the audience feel how they normally feel when people are describing dreams to them—bored, uninterested, and more than mildly confused. But it’s an interesting project and a clever (and unique) premise that yields some satisfactory moments throughout all of the segments. There’s also a ton of imagery and events that make for fun analyzing from Jungian and Freudian perspectives as well.