During the 20th edition of the Rome Film Fest we spoke with Michel Franco, director of “Dreams”, starring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernández.

The movie delves into the complex themes of physical and psychological borders, presenting raw insights on the blurred lines between love and destruction, privilege and oppression. At its core, “Dreams” explores a tumultuous relationship between a Mexican immigrant and a privileged art patron, and while their personal connection and sexual relationship is central, the story subtly exposes the broader political landscape—highlighting how nowadays borders are both geographical and psychological. Also portraying how the American Dream can today morph into a prison itself, especially for migrants forced to seek survival beyond their homeland.

The interview

“Dreams” director Michel Franco stressed the attention on how many Mexicans and other Latin Americans don’t choose to migrate; they are forced by the circumstances. The film, indeed critiques how immigrants are often exploited, becoming merely a tool for economic and political gain without true access to social security or any type of rights, being only valued on the base of their labor.

Michel Franco answered also on how the issues that emerge in the film are very close to the director’s roots themselves, examining how talent and work are valued by the US often only on a utilitarian basis. Immigrants are there tolerated as long as they serve a purpose, yet are denied the protections afforded to citizens, exposing harsh realities of inequality and systemic exploitation. These complex themes enrich, in the end, a film that truly urges viewers to reconsider perceptions of borders, labor, and dignity, through the eyes of a toxic relationship of mutual power, control, and even vengeance.

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