Dreams (Sex Love)

Seventeen-year-old Johanne is a secondary school student in Oslo who lives with her single mother, Kristin, and is close to her grandmother, Karin, a published author. After reading a novel about a romantic affair between a student and a teacher, Johanne develops an intense crush on her French teacher, Johanna. The two begin spending time together outside of school, as Johanna teaches Johanne how to knit at her apartment. Johanne's infatuation grows, and she frequently fantasizes about Johanna reciprocating her feelings.

To cope with her overwhelming emotions, Johanne writes a nearly 200-page autobiographical manuscript detailing her longing, physical desires, an alleged intimate encounters with Johanna. Seeking an outlet, Johanne shares the manuscript with Karin. Karin is highly impressed by the manuscript's literary merit and, going against Johanne's wishes, shows it to Kristin. Kristin is shocked by the explicit content and becomes deeply concerned that Johanna has abused her position of power and engazed in inappropriate conduct with her daughter.

The manuscript creates tension within the family. Karin considers the text a work of art with genuine potential for publication, and reading it prompts both older women to reflect on their own past relationships and unfulfilled desires. Kristin, however, remains focused on the reality of the situation. She directly confronts Johanna, asking her if the physical events described in the manuscript actually occurred. Johanna refuses to give a clear answer, leaving her mother and grandmother unsure of how much of the text is reality and how much is fabricated fantasy.

One afternoon, Johanne is visiting Johanna's apartment when the doorbell rings. The visitor is an older woman named Frøydis, an art student at the academy who is also receiving knitting help from Johanna. Noticing that Frøydis is explicitly invited and sensing a more mature, peer-like dynamic between the two older women, Johanne feels out of place and promptly leaves the apartment.

Sometimes later, Johanne attends an appointment at a psychiatrist's office. While at the clinic, she unexpectedly encounters Frøydis. The two women strike up a conversation, leaving the building together, and walk off to get a coffee.

• Ella Øverbye as Johanne
• Selome Emnetu as Johanna, French teacher
• Ane Dahl Torp as Kristin, Johanne's mother
• Anne Marit Jacobsen as Karin, Johanne's grandmother
• Andrine Sæther as Anne

On 22 September 2022, Viaplay handed the making of a trilogy of films titled "Sex, Dreams and Love", to director Dag Johan Haugerud. Produced by Norway's Motlys and Viaplay, the trilogy was supported by the Norwegian Film Institute, the Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Oslo Filmfond and Arthaus.^[6] Haugerud in an interview with Variety revealed that he was inspired by Krzysztof Kieślowski’s 1993-1994 Three Colours trilogy to take this project. He said, "The aim was to make three films that deal with the same topics from different perspectives." He elaborated, "They should look and feel very different, but give the impression that they are all part of the same conversation."^[7]

The English title was changed from Dreams to Dreams (Sex Love) in order to distinguish it from the 2025 Michel Franco film Dreams, which was also in the 2025 Berlin competition.^[8]

The film was released in Norwegian cinemas on 4 October 2024.^[3]

Dreams (Sex Love) had its international premiere on 19 February 2025, as part of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, in Competition.^[9][10][11] The film made its Asian premiere closing the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 21 April 2025.^[12]

It was released theatrically in Germany on 8 May 2025 by Alamode Film.^[13]

The film featured at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival in the Features section on 4 June 2025.^[14] It was also a part of the Horizons section of the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was screened from 4 July to 10 July 2025.^[15] It was showcased at the 53rd Norwegian International Film Festival as Amanda Award nominee on 16 August 2025,^[16] and at the 29th Lima Film Festival in the 'Acclaimed' section.^[17]

Dreams (Sex Love) was also a part of the World Cinema at the 2025 Atlantic International Film Festival and screened on 11 September 2025,^[18] and then it was also presented in the Icon section at the 30th Busan International Film Festival on 21 September 2025.^[19]

It will compete in the Main Program Together Again at the Zagreb Film Festival for Golden Pram Award on 12 November 2025.^[20] On the same day, it was presented in Official Section of 22nd Seville European Film Festival.^[21][22]

It will be presented in 'From The Festivals - 2025' section of the 56th International Film Festival of India in November 2025.^[23]

The film was shortlisted along with other two films as the Norwegian's Oscar submission for 98th Academy Awards.^[24]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 41 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.^[25]

Peter Bradshaw reviewing for The Guardian rated the film with 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that the film is a cunning, chatty, and playful creation reminiscent of Lukas Moodysson’s early film Show Me Love.^[26]

The film was shortlisted for nomination to 2026 European Film Awards in feature film category. The award ceremony will take place on 17 January 2026.^[27]

• List of Norwegian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film