Michel Franco and Jessica Chastain “Secretly” Shot A Film in July

If you’ve been reading this site then you must already know that I had previously reported on a new Michel Franco film, titled “Dreams,” that was being shot in secret this past July. Now THR is finally reporting on it.

The duo recently premiered “Memory,” one of the best films I have seen at TIFF — Chastain’s co-star, Peter Sarsgaard also won the Best Actor award at Venice for his performance in the film.

Prior to “Memory” hitting the fall fests, Chastain and Franco had completed shooting “Dreams” this summer in San Francisco. The film, starring Chastain, Isaac Hernandez and Rupert Friend, involves a forbidden romance between a woman and a male ballet dancer.

“Dreams” has a budget of around $3 million. It also had a SAG-AFTRA waiver allowing it to shoot during the actors strike.

If you haven’t seen Franco’s last film, “Sundown,” then please do. It was great. It featured not just excellent, Haneke-esque direction, but also a career-peak performance from Tim Roth. Franco is getting better as a filmmaker, his last three films (“New Order,” “Sundown,” and “Memory”) are also his best.

Franco trying to break into American cinema is major news. His Haneke-style nihilism and gloomy outlook on humanity seems to have struck a chord with US producers. Franco has clearly upped his stock. Belgian cinematographer Yves Cape, his go-to man, shot “Memory.” No word on if he also lensed “Dreams.”