Locarno 2026: Dreaming, Hearing, Bruton Reality

When global conflict casts a shadow across the screen, cinema often steps up to demand more than just spectacle; it asks us to confront the deeply human cost of war and identity. At a recent festival, this theme was powerfully explored through films that linger long after the credits roll, offering stark reflections on personal resilience, systemic cruelty, and the elusive nature of peace.

One such powerful exploration came in the form of I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming. This contemplative drama offers a refreshing perspective on the intense realities faced by individuals caught in geopolitical turmoil. The film weaves a semi-fictional LGBTQI+ narrative set against the backdrop of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, focusing on Oleh and his fiancée Olya as they navigate real-world horrors following the invasion.

The story delves into the agonizing intersection of personal identity and nationalism. As the war intensifies, the characters confront not only external threats but also the internal pressures of prejudice. The film sensitively portrays how deeply wartime divisions—and surrounding societal biases—can dismantle the sense of peace that families once shared, highlighting the profound tragedy experienced by those caught in the crossfire.

Elsewhere at the festival, a different kind of immersion was offered by Lê Bảo’s atmospherically adventurous piece, Hearing. This multi-generational survey defies easy categorization, moving through hypnotic sights and penetrating sounds to explore decades of unspoken silence within a family. The film masterfully juxtaposes the clamor of urban life with austere rural quietude, revealing how buried anxieties and cycles of aggression—whether domestic or historical—are etched into the quietest moments of existence.

The visual style is utterly enveloping, utilizing sound and light to create a woozy journey of discovery. From lively restaurants filled with noise to remote villages steeped in unspoken tension, Hearing uses these contrasting settings to expose the fractured realities of memory, where listening becomes not just an act, but an inescapable terror.

Shifting gears entirely, another selection brought the brutal realities of systemic injustice into sharp focus with Vincent Grashaw’s latest work, Bruton. This first-person biography follows Bryan Bruton, a Miami dealer unjustly imprisoned, as he attempts to navigate the unforgiving landscape of the correctional system. The film traces his methodology for survival—from evading authorities to forging temporary alliances—while simultaneously probing the profound moral cost of incarceration.

Grashaw’s work consistently skirts the line between genre and message, using bruising, gritty settings to reveal systemic inequities. While Bruton tracks the internal struggle for survival, it ultimately grapples with the soul-breaking trauma experienced by those within the system. It is a challenging examination of how external forces shape personal destiny, leaving viewers to ponder the delicate balance between freedom and the structures designed to contain it.