Tumultuous events triggered by the death of a Dutch sugar plantation owner who ends up leaving his Indian Ocean island estate to his young illegitimate son - the child of his Indonesian housemaid.

The demise of European colonialism has never been captured in a more vibrant and aesthetically exuberant manner than in this delightfully cynical film. When the proprietor of a sugar cane plantation on an Indonesian island falls to his death after a late-night visit to his housekeeper, mistress, and mother of his illegitimate child, his family is faced with unprecedented trials, including a workers' revolt and a society and place that had never truly embraced their presence. Examining history with a clearly skewed and meta perspective, Sweet Dreams unravels the toxic nature of an unethical exploitation system with intelligence and style, in this ironic and penetrating social thriller, becoming a bizarre yet exceptional cinematic gem.—Thessaloniki International Film Festival

On a remote Indonesian island, during the waning days of the colonial era, Dutch sugar factory owner Jan and his wife, Agathe are at the top of the food chain. That is, until Jan upon returning from his nightly visit to his native concubine Siti, suddenly drops dead in front of his wife. Desperate to keep the privileges of her status quo, Agathe forces her estranged son Cornelis and his heavily pregnant wife Josefien, to travel from Europe and take over the family business. In the midst of a worker's uprising, Cornelis displays his plans for progressive change, but when Jan's will puts Siti at the forefront of the family estate, ideals prove to be idle and blood thicker than water.