I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming (German: Selten wache ich träumend auf) is a 2026 drama film directed by Isabelle Stever, and written by Anna Melikova. It stars Tania Myronyshena, Markus Bright, Iryna Mak, Viktor Zhdanov, Maiia Sobolevska, Maria Myronyshena and Oleksandr Rudynskyi.
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 9 August 2026, where it competed for the Golden Leopard.
Contents
Premise
A young couple is put to the test when one of the partners gender transition collides with the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present).
Cast
Tania Myronyshena as Olya
Markus Bright as Oleh
Iryna Mak as Maryna
Viktor Zhdanov as Vasyl
Maiia Sobolevska as Rada
Maria Myronyshena as Dasha
Oleksandr Rudynskyi as Pavel
Release
It had its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on 9 August 2026, competing for the Golden Leopard. It will also screen in the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival.