Daydream Therapy is set to Nina Simone’s haunting rendition of “Pirate Jenny” and concludes with Archie Shepp’s “Things Have Got to Change.” Filmed in Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey by activist-turned-filmmaker Bernard Nicolas as his first project at UCLA, this short film poetically envisions the fantasy life of a hotel worker whose daydreams provide an escape from workplace indignities. —Allyson Nadia Field
Related Movies
Rancho Mirage (NaN)
An Alzheimer's patient leaves his home in the middle of the day to visit his deceased brother in Las Vegas.
Blue Sky (2009)
Michael is a young teenager passionate about writing, a passion he carries on almost secretly because of his father. Agnes is deaf, but the words she cannot speak are compensated by her drawings which she hopes will get her to an art school. One day they find each other on top of a brick wall which becomes their sanctuary away from the world.
We Deliver a Smile (2020)
The Pani company employs a dark-skinned supplier. The young Karim gets into a difficult situation through his work as a food delivery boy when he delivers to a customer who doesn't want to let him go. The boundaries between racism and helplessness become blurred and Karim has to decide: morality or compassion.
Veranico (2020)
It is a hot summer in August 2016. In this ephemeral sea of unforeseen events, passions, changes, voids, escapes and deceits, Rodrigo – between his personal discoveries and uncertainties about the future – is surprised by the outbreak of a set of fires in Madeira Island. What will happen to him if the wind shifts?
The Rooftop (2020)
High schooler You Cheng fumbles a hookup with Wen Ting, making him panic. To solve this issue, he spies on others, but Jing Hao’s nude shocks him.
Blues for Herold (2024)
A struggling young man secretly plays a magical trumpet that transports him from his desolate world into a colorful "bliss." When his younger brother discovers his secret, their relationship is put in jeopardy.
The Bathtub (2021)
Ramon Riera is taking a well-deserved bath when his cell phone suddenly rings. On the other side of the line is Clara, a girl who insistently tries to sell him a life insurance.
I, Divided (2011)
A young man struggles with identity and mortality after he discovers human remains in an open field.
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot (2024)
Led by Donna and Reverend W.C. Martin, 22 families from a rural Black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system and kickstart a movement in the process.
Blank Canvas (2023)
A queer female artist struggles with her first major painting and its impending deadline. Concealing herself in her cluttered bedsit, she begins to experience hallucinations which she ultimately decides to use to her advantage.
Cafuné (2025)
Válter strives to give his daughter the best life while dealing with the insecurity generated by Maira's constant mention of her mother.
En passant (2015)
Andor is a young chess player, who even calls his pet turtle Kasparov. “Do you think I will succeed? - the boy asks her before the decisive tournament. "If I win, he will never come back." Who is Andor talking about and why is he either afraid of this return, or wants it?
Saeed (2019)
Even though Sami is safe in the United States with his 9-year-old daughter, Aya, the injures sustained during the war in Syria are making his life difficult. When news breaks that the rest of his family will arrive from a refugee camp, he should be as elated as Aya. But as Aya grows more eager to see her brother Saeed, Sami grows more anxious.
Listening (2003)
At a spa where talking is forbidden, an emotionally distraught woman finds solace in the company of a kind man and the two of them gradually fall in love.
Malo fait du vélo (2025)
Julien is autistic and dreams of finding love. His brother Malo is so devoted to him that he writes his messages on his dating app. Until one night, when they cross paths with Mia.
Fish Out of Water (2008)
Fish Out of Water manages to unfurl its light-hearted tale of young man and the sea, without a word of dialogue. Avoiding the morning traffic jams, our man (Nick Dunbar) finds peace by rowing each day to work in the city. But when a seductive blonde unexpectedly enters the picture, he finds his morning boat ride heading in unexpected directions. Directed by Lala Rolls (Land of My Ancestors), Fish Out of Water was invited to play in the 2005 NZ Film Festival, plus another 10 overseas fests. Victoria Kelly composes the brass and banjo-inflected soundtrack.