She Dreams At Sunrise (2021) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

I hope you’ve been drinking enough water for She Dreams At Sunrise will not only make you cry but ugly cry.

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Director(s)	Camrus Johnson
Screenplay By	Camrus Johnson
Date Released	6/19/2021
Where Can You Watch?	Film Festival (Tribeca Film Festival)
Genre(s)	Comedy, Drama, Animation, Family
Duration	10 Minutes
Rating	Not Rated
Noted Cast
Gerry	Candice Patton
Bell	Azie Tesfai

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Film Summary

With dwindling mobility and dexterity, a grandmother is usually kept company by her grandson, and he also assists her with bathing as well. However, while it’s nice for him to be around, it seems Gerry dreams of happier times. Which, you may think deals with when she could run and move more freely, but it actually deals with her grandson’s mother, Bell, and the relationship that deteriorated long ago.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: While at times saddening, there isn’t a notable red flag.

Review/ Commentary

Highlights

Aging, Family, and Regrets

Whether you want to talk about Gerry’s grandson keeping her company and taking care of her, assuming she isn’t raising him, to Gerry’s relationship with Bell, a lot is going on. However, what got to us is that Gerry fantasizes about the times when Bell was younger, and that’s her happy place. We even see her sleepwalk, and potentially dance as she imagines the good times she had with her daughter.

This makes the ending all the more sadder as you realize this isn’t a specific story. This can represent the viewer’s relationship with their parent, child, or you feeling like the middle person struggling to get the two sides to reconcile. And the way Johnson’s story plays out, it is difficult not to get teary-eyed as you come to terms with all Gerry is dealing with as she hits a rut that makes it appear she’ll be dead soon.

Overall

What’s Considered For Our Final Rating

Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing) – Recommended

Very few productions of the 17 or so we saw at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival made us cry – this is one of the few that did. For there is just a build that even longer-form content couldn’t get right that She Dreams At Sunrise does. Hence the positive label and recommendation, for it might be one of the top things released from the entire festival.