In The Nightmare, director Rodney Ascher (Room 237) has done just that. The film explores the condition commonly referred to as “sleep paralysis.” That’s a condition where someone is in bed, but totally physically immobilized. Some who suffer from the condition – including the eight subjects in this documentary – feel they are visited by something evil during these periods. Ascher lets these subjects tell their stories, then we watch them play out on screen. It’s absolutely horrifying, if not wholly rewarding.
Ona and Saule are best friends and passionate cooks who are stuck working at "Tasty", a local canteen. Ona is a single mother and Saulė is an enthusiastic girl from the countryside. One day, Saulė enrols them in a national TV cooking competition, which offers a restaurant as the grand prize. Without Ona's consent, she lies about their culinary experience. Reluctantly, Ona gives in to Saulė’s lies and they both manage to enter the competition. Despite being viewed as a joke, their popularity skyrockets on social media. As Ona becomes the audience’s favourite, tension between the friends escalates as it’s fuelled by the show's manipulative celebrity contestant, Bruknė. Ona even starts dating a French jury member, adding to the friction. Will their friendship survive the intense pressure of the competition?
Saad, a young Moroccan illegal immigrant, is planning a perilous journey to Canada with Reza, his Iranian lover. In Montreal, Saad is called upon to save his beloved from certain deportation to Iran, where inevitable punishment awaits.
Ona and Saule are best friends and passionate cooks who are stuck working at "Tasty", a local canteen. Ona is a single mother and Saulė is an enthusiastic girl from the countryside. One day, Saulė enrols them in a national TV cooking competition, which offers a restaurant as the grand prize. Without Ona's consent, she lies about their culinary experience. Reluctantly, Ona give...