Minna is the apple of her father’s eye. They share everything together including a love of latin music and dancing around the kitchen. They live simply in an under-renovation farmhouse in a lovely part of the world. Where is unimportant – however there is an American accent to all the characters.
Breaking this idyllic lifestyle, is when her father John’s new fiance, Helena and her daughter, Jenny – Minna’s new stepsister – move in. As odd as it might be that, neither side has met before this momentous transition, it’s not surprising that there will be teething problems.
Jenny is a social media fiend – she benchmarks her life by it – and Minna’s simple life (and even simpler wardrobe) comes under Jenny’s ever-growing scrutiny. As an escape, Minna loses herself in her dreams.
One night, Minna discovers a world behind her dreams in which creatures known as ‘Dreambuilders’ construct and direct the dreams that we experience whilst we sleep. Stumbling through a portal in a wall, Minna learns how dreams are constructed and synchronised. She befriends a rather gruff engineer, Graff, who is always at pains for her to leave. It is through Graff that Minna learns how to craft a dream to follow a specific story or script. With this newfound knowledge, Minna turns her ire on Jenny when the latter tries to steal John’s attention away from Minna.
However, interfering with people’s dreams will bring dire consequences for both of them. Minna must enter the dream world one final time to face what she’s created, in order to save Jenny and her new family.
Not brimming with the same deep morals found in the likes of Pixar, Disney or Studio Ghibli, Dreambuilders is nonetheless light fare for the young ones. The scenery created for Minna’s house and gardens is lovely, and the behind-the-dream machination scenes are quite elaborate.
Dreamuilders opens nationally today. Check your local guides for screening times.
About Dreambuilders
Running Time: 81 minutes
Rating: PG
Directed by Kim Hagen Jensen and Tonni Zinck
Stars Robyn Dempsey, Emma Jenkins, Luke Griffin, Tom Hale, Karen Ardiff
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