Léo Berne and Raphaël Rodriguez create a surreal world in which our dreams can be controlled and altered by a “censor”. Making the Freudian theory of the “Censor of Dreams“ literal, their eponym film, takes a brief glimpse into the life of a man (portrayed by Damien Bonnard) who moderates the dreams of his host, a young woman (played by Yôko Higashi). Over the course of the next few minutes, we come to understand that the Censor and his co-worker have been having trouble navigating this particular dreamscape, spending all their energy to hide a reminiscent trauma. 

Adapting a short story by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui (Paprika – The girl who leap through time), Berne and Rodriguez have brought a world to life that, through the unusual prism of the dreams mechanics, explores with dark humor the whole process of mourning.

Through exploring the innate human desire for control and extending this to our own psyche, the pair invites the viewer to consider their own thoughts and dreams with a more critical eye; as well as whether or not those are things that can, or should, be controlled.