Mojtaba suffers from insomnia. He works in the archives department and is also a devout believer who leads hymns at religious gatherings. One day a mysterious woman begins appearing in his dreams and creates a crack in his unsatisfying daily life. In reality his wife nags endlessly about his health and habits, indifferent to the one thing he wants most: a child. By contrast the woman in his dreams actively works to win him over and reaches out with an irresistible temptation. Mani Moghaddam’s debut film Slumber portrays the crisis of a middle-aged man who chose (or was driven to choose) escape from reality, in a society enduring hopeless collective trauma. As the escape gradually erodes the boundary between dream and reality, it becomes unclear even whether it is a descent into self-pity or the last defense mechanism preserving the self from collapse.
Programme note by PARK Sungho
Stills5
Screenings4
Sat, 10/10
16:0018:11
CGV Centum City 3
298Guest Q&AKE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue
Mon, 10/12
12:2014:31
Busan Cinema Center Cinema 2
475Guest Q&AKE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue
Tue, 10/13
10:2012:06
LOTTE CINEMA Centum City 10
629KE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue
Wed, 10/14
13:2015:06
LOTTE CINEMA Centum City 10
717KE, Korean subtitles + English subtitles or English dialogue
Born in Tehran in 1983, Mani Moghadam earned an MBA from the American University in Dubai and a doctorate in hotel management from the University of Tehran while also studying film directing. Slumber is his feature directorial debut.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31