CinéDialoog: Dream Machine

In the aftermath of a war in the Middle East, an innocent Water Carrier falls victim to the violence, her tragic death sending ripples through time. Nima, an ex-soldier now living in Amsterdam, is tormented by guilt and fragmented memories. To find redemption, he must confront his past with the help of a mysterious Dream Machine—while Ahriman, the evil spirit of chaos tries to lure him into darkness. Centuries earlier, Cyrus the Great and Perseus battle Ahriman and his minions, setting into motion events that will resonate with Nima’s journey across time.

Dream Machine is the result of a nine-year journey undertaken by Mani Nickpour and his community of collaborators. The film was produced outside of traditional structures—fueled by artistic conviction and the immense trust of the cast and crew. Partially due to the limited budget, partially thanks to his contagious enthousiasm, Mani took many roles to make this film happen—besides playing the main character, he is also the producer, director, writer, cinematographer, set designer, VFX artist, sound designer, costume designer, and even contributed to the soundtrack (together with Lazerhawk, Jose Acuña and Lavinia Meijer who also stars in the film).

Dream Machine feels like what you would get if Parajanov and Jodorowsky conceived a child in Japan and raised it in the Netherlands, where it was nannied by Ed Wood’s Iranian incarnation, who infused it with his feverish, no-nonsense DIY spirit.

Shot in the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, France and Greece, this film is a living proof that making fantastical films on a shoestring budget is still possible. Told outside of linear time, it is a film founded upon mystic architecture, blending Persian, Greek, Japanese and Egyptian myths. With its richly symbolic and ambiguous narrative, the film remains open to interpretation—but in light of current events in the Middle East and the world’s general state of chaos, its apocalyptic themes feel especially timely.

After the screening, we’ll speak with Mani about his extraordinary creative process, as well as the deeper meanings behind this multifaceted story.

Mani Nickpour is a Dutch-Iranian filmmaker and educator based in Amsterdam. Born in Tehran in 1983, he began his artistic journey as a child actor in a film directed by his father, Saeid Nickpour. After relocating to the Netherlands in 1990, Mani pursued his passion for storytelling, eventually founding the audiovisual company HADOKEN. His debut feature, Death Before Dying, short film YUME (夢) and his latest feature Dream Machine, have garnered international acclaim, winning awards such as Best Fantasy at the Kanazawa Film Festival in Japan and Best Feature Film at the Phenomena International Film Festival in Brazil.