Theatrical Release "Sultana's Dream"

In a library in Ahmedabad, India the young artist Inés stumbles upon "Sultana's Dream," a science fiction short story written in 1905 by Begum Rokeya Hossain. The story revolves around Ladyland, a feminist utopia where women possess knowledge and govern the country, while men have no access to education and live in seclusion taking care of the household chores. Intrigued by the short story, Inés embarks on a journey across India in search of Ladyland and the traces of the author Begum Rokeya Hossain. "Sultana's Dream" critiques patriarchy, war, industrialization, and the exploitation of natural resources, thus addressing the concerns of our world today in an unexpectedly visionary way.

The film had its premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF), where the Spanish-German co-production received awards for Best Screenplay and Best Basque Film. The German premiere took place at the Filmfest Hamburg, where Fabian Driehorst the film producer and a KHM graduate won the prize for "Best International Co-production." The jury's statement praised the film's poetic dream, artful realization, and Isabel Herguera's ability to adhere to cinematic rules while simultaneously breaking them. It was described as a special experience, more than just a film.

The team behind the film includes Isabel Herguera as the director, with a screenplay by Isabel Herguera and Gianmarco Serra. The cast includes voices by Miren Arrieta, Dedjani Mukherjee, Miren Gabilondo, Nausheen Javeed, Ranjitha Rajeevan, Mary Beard, Paul Preciado, and Manu Khurana. Production is by Sultana Films, El Gatoverde Producciones, Abano Producions, Fabian&Fred, UniKo, and studios involved are The Glow in Extremadura, Spain and BlackBird Design in Mumbai, India.

Isabel Herguera, a visual artist and filmmaker, has been a professor of animation at the KHM since 2017. Her award-winning short films include “Amar” (2010), “Under the pillow” (2012), Kutxa beltza" (2016) and "Amore d'inverno" (2015). "Sultana's Dream" is her first feature film.