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‘Boundaries between reality and dream are blurry.’
Seeking a ‘normal’ relationship after several soured romances left him depressed, Dirk eventually found support and stability in a relationship with a rather unusual new partner: a life-sized and lifelike sex doll named Jenny. Dream Girl profiles Dirk as he explores the details of his unconventional love. Although on some level he knows that ‘her silicone body isn’t alive, of course’, he seems to think of Jenny in a way that wilfully wavers between reality and fantasy. Although Dirk’s loneliness and isolation is palpable – the film itself barely leaves his home – it’s also clear that he’s somehow practising how to relate to other humans, however unsettling his methods might be. This remarkably wrought, haunting film by the Swiss director Oliver Schwarz asks vexing questions about what love can be and what it means to choose the kind of intimacy that Dirk has, while offering no easy answers.
Director: Oliver Schwarz
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Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
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The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
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Love and friendship
After his son’s terrorist attack, Azdyne seeks healing – and his granddaughter
25 minutes
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Art
More than breathtaking, ‘The Birth of Venus’ signalled an aesthetic revolution
19 minutes
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Childhood and adolescence
Striking shadow puppetry illuminates a skater kid’s memories of Boy Scout camp
12 minutes
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Values and beliefs
A Zen Buddhist priest voices the deep matters he usually ponders in silence
5 minutes
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Rituals and celebrations
Meet the entrepreneur whose business is crafting perfect peak experiences
12 minutes
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Human rights and justice
A reporter orphaned by night raids in Afghanistan investigates their cruel legacy
17 minutes
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Work
Does capitalism make ‘non-playable characters’ of us all? An uncanny exploration
21 minutes