When Erik looks at pictures of himself as a child, it’s like seeing a twin sister. A sister who’s disappeared, with Erik taking her place. It’s a reminder of the past, and the anxiety is palpable. Prince of Dreams takes us on a pilgrimage to the end of the world where the protagonist, Erik, looks back on his life. The bullying and feeling like an outsider at school. The artistry. But most of all the battle to accept yourself and believe that others can actually love you for who you really are. Erik, born as a girl, has for a long time struggled with gender dysphoria, with a past characterised by a feeling like an outsider and by vulnerability. As an 18-year-old, Erik starts the process of gender reassignment. Prince of Dreams is filmed over 10 years, following Erik from the age of 17 and until he turns 27. Despite the serious topics covered in the film, it is brimming with humour and love.

Production notes

The journey from Malmö’s Rosengård to the Finisterre Peninsula in the west coast of Galicia is above all a journey to the self. In the historical pilgrimage route, Erik battles with his feelings of gender dysphoria and loneliness. — Nettelbladt, specializing in deeply personal interviews, makes her documentary more of a tale of growth than a travelogue, succeeding in that without resorting to talking heads.

Marko Ylitalo (translated by Inari Ylinen)