3 Dream Problem

Lots of people love to study their dreams and work out what they mean. Some people don’t remember their dreams, and others can only recall small parts that make little sense. This film is about a man who wants to discuss his dreams and has the unique ability to recall them. He recounts these dreams to a dream researcher who encourages him to immerse himself in them. As the title suggests, there are three dreams in total.

This is an uncomfortable watch, particularly during the dream sequences. The strobing psychedelic lightning and split-screen editing make it very difficult to focus on what is happening. It is not clear whether these effects are part of the dream or whether they are being used to differentiate between reality and the dream. The sound is often crackly, which really affects the film's quality. It again takes the focus away from what is happening. The constant music is grating and sounds like someone holding down random keys on a church organ. I appreciate that the director is trying to create the confusion of dreaming, and on some level, it succeeds. I think for many in the audience it may just be too much.

The plot is very simplistic, and there is very little action. The problem is that very little happens in these dreams. There are long sequences where the dreamer is sitting in the back of a car. The dreamer also has many scenes where they are just staring into space. There are times when the focus is solely on the dreamer’s face. There are some nice images that look like a Peruvian town, but the constant flashing light makes it hard to see.

Jorge Villacorta plays the dreamer and dream researcher, with the main focus being on the dreamer. The researcher is dressed in a surgical gown, scarf and goggles, which makes for a very odd appearance. The dialogue was originally in Spanish, and I think it would have been better to keep it that way. Much of the English dialogue is mumbled and hard to hear. This makes it difficult to follow what is being said.

Jorge Villacorta is also the writer and director. He is a film student who studied art and film in his native Peru. Jorge Villacorta admired and studied filmmaker Leonidas Zegarra, which may explain the film's unconventional approach. He clearly experimented with colour, sound, and imagery. He may have seen it as an artistic project rather than a film with a detailed plot. The lack of a storyline will make it hard for the audience to engage.

If the audience views this film as experimental cinema, they may appreciate it more. I think it was created as a piece of art rather than a film with a plot or character development. This could be seen as a project that displays multiple techniques in filmmaking. It uses overlapping imagery, strobe lighting, a mixture of colours, and split-screen. Outside of this, very little works, which makes it difficult to watch. This is a dream that makes very little sense.

I would certainly warn the audience about the strobe lighting before viewing.