The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer (2020)

Sleep, dreams & insomnia guide us through life, reality, beauty & understanding. "The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer" sparked something in me from the first time I read the title. Its paradoxical wordplay was all I needed to confirm that whoever made it has the contemplative outlook on life I relate with. The running time was also an immersive 170 minutes. Which is lengthy by any feature's standards; just what I was looking for. It is not too much if maximized. I had high hopes and no expectations, gripping eagerness but no context.

It turned out that this was not a fictional feature like any other. It seemed more like a documentary, which threw me off at first. A female character appeared in an intimate interview setting from the silence. She began to recount her life and its challenges, memories, aspirations, and mysteries. A little patience was enough to orient me in Mohammed Soueid's world. There is no particularly linear storyline and no fuss over conventional aesthetic guidelines. Yet somehow, The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer unfolded as a raw and candid expression of an astute observer's worldview. This movie is a puzzling portrait of a restless mind that loses sleep for living in a dream where everything is not so flowery, instead painted with countless nuances and depth of the highlights and shadows. If I had to pinpoint what makes this movie so fantastical and powerful, it must be its sobering realism that sets it apart by how artistically it is delivered.

The seemingly average characters are real people, regular folks like you and me. However, one thing makes them stand out. They were so philosophical and poetic, even when talking about random everyday things. One interview followed another and another, and then some more. Such naturals, such brilliance, I thought to myself. These characters were genuine parts of Mohammed Soueid's history and identity. He was sharing a mosaic, of which each piece was abstract in its own right. The characters ranged from psychologists to painters, actors to retired pilots, and many more from all across the globe. They are his friends who soon enough become ours too - once they let us into their worlds. They are in many ways ordinary (but very expressive), which I think is what makes them poetic and even heroic while remaining relatable.

These are organic, unscripted conversations Soueid had with people he knew personally to varying extents. That is why the dialogue is so authentic. Every scene is intimate and personal, inviting then luring us into their realities without reservations. These rich dialogues were bound to be immersive and meandering. There is virtually no limit on how much can be said and touched upon. Soueid also knows how to bring vulnerability and excitement out of the characters. It makes you wonder what their daily conversations and relationships with him have been like throughout the years. The various personalities talk about unrelated and sometimes very personal topics ranging from their chronic back pain problems, childhood anecdotes, celebrity crush encounters, and more. From my observation, one thing that the stories have in common is that they have a stage to shine where they elevate the mundane.

However, not all subjects covered were ordinary. At the heart of it, The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer is also a journey through the arts (poetry, music & stories) that Soueid is highly fond of. He draws inspiration from unlikely sources in addition to like-minded people. This movie took 17 years to complete, mind you. It is clear how cherished the memories and experiences in this movie are to Soueid. In an attempt to compile stories to help him fall asleep, having suffered from insomnia for so long, Soueid created something therapeutic also for viewers. This movie is an auditory and visual catharsis that releases the tension from taboo topics and stimulates viewers with uncut samples of real life and the art it inspires. It is a deeply personal project which might bother some but is also undoubtedly original for the same reason.

The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer has its own clear cinematic language despite being unconventional in many ways. Soueid filmed almost all shots himself with a square-like aspect ratio and mostly static or handheld camera movement to guide us through the voyage. It is safe to say that this is more of an experimental documentary, where Soueid takes on a hands-on role in telling the story from an ego perspective. He also comfortably takes on the part of the narrator in some scenes with his witty commentary delivering intriguing and reflective points. There is even a scene that poetically describes a female’s “ass” and its wondrous creation with a voice-over where he walks and follows women’s swinging hips throughout the streets of Beirut, Paris, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and so on. It is a refreshing watch that leads you through many ups and downs with lulling soft cuts and jolting rough cuts. The sound is also very organic, intuitively using grounding silence and surprisingly fitting or ironic musical inserts.

The Insomnia of a Serial Dreamer is a masterpiece by my standards. It might not be critically acclaimed or publicly appealing, but it stands out and shines for what it is. It is one of those artworks you either love very much or do not understand at all. I believe such works go to depths beyond a threshold most viewers are comfortable with or sensitive to. The creators have metaphysical gifts allowing them to connect with life and explore deeper layers. They look into your eyes (the portals of the soul) beyond how you present yourself and sense your pain and motives. I pay attention to works with such a polarizing disparity and take notes. They usually get something right.

I see a lot of myself in this picture. I was compelled and moved by the movie from start to finish, wanting to lose myself in the gripping conversations and moments. Sadly, the screening had to end. I stood up feeling different from before I sat down. Great art indeed changes you when it resonates in your core. Mohammed Soueid was a few seats to my right while I was wandering and investigating his inner world for almost three hours. Luckily, I had a brief moment to share my thoughts with him and stress how much I connected with the movie. He insisted that he had seen me before and we had possibly met. I was sure that was not the case at first, but then I thought, perhaps we have - in another life.