Beyond Dreams

Beyond Dreams

Year: 2017

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: Swedish

Director: Rojda Sekersöz

Drama

Following a period of incarceration, Mirja struggles to reintegrate into society and find her place. She takes a job as a hotel cleaner, which leads her to begin living a secret life. Torn between her ailing mother and a close-knit group of friends who feel like her true family, she navigates complex relationships and faces difficult choices.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Beyond Dreams (2017)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Beyond Dreams (2017). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Montevideo, Mirja's home, hotel, employment center, city streets, rooftops, buses

Montevideo is named as the destination that motivates the group’s plans. The story also traverses Mirja's home, the hotel where she works, and the employment center, highlighting how urban spaces shape opportunity and tension. Nighttime scenes unfold on buses and rooftops, underscoring the precarious, street-level reality of the characters' lives.

🏙️ Urban 🧭 Travel 🧱 Social realism

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:45

Main Characters – Beyond Dreams (2017)

Meet the key characters of Beyond Dreams (2017), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mirja — Evin Ahmad

Recently released from prison, Mirja returns to her family and a tight group of friends, trying to move away from crime while facing mounting pressures. She pursues legitimate work but remains entangled with the others’ plans and the temptation of quick money. Her journey shows resilience as she navigates tension with her mother and the rest of the group, ultimately choosing care for her sister over the old life.

💪 Resilience 🏠 Family 🧭 Identity

Isa — Ella Åhman

Mirja's younger half-sister who joins the close-knit circle of friends. Isa participates in the events at a distance while also acting as a catalyst for Mirja’s actions, revealing vulnerability and a stubborn will to survive. Her presence motivates Mirja to confront consequences and protect family ties.

👧 Sister 💖 Family 🧭 Influence

Sara — Gizem Erdogan

A bold member of the friend group who pushes for the jewelry store heist and challenges Mirja’s decisions. She is outspoken, impulsive, and fiercely loyal to the group, driving tension but also acting as a catalyst for change. Her actions test the limits of friendship and ambition.

👭 Friend 💥 Rebellion 💰 Ambition

Emmy — Malin Persson

A member of the inner circle facing eviction and housing insecurity, Emmy embodies the precarious reality many characters face. Her struggles with money and stability ground the film’s social realism. She remains part of the group’s dynamic while seeking a safer path forward.

👭 Friend 💸 Stability 🧭 Change

Nina — Segen Tesfai

Another member of the group who contributes to the tension and camaraderie. Nina’s presence amplifies conflicts within the circle but also creates opportunities for collective support. She embodies the spirited, risk-taking edge of the crew.

👭 Friend 💥 Tension 🔒 Loyalty

Sirkka — Outi Mäenpää

Mirja's mother, whose COPD illness and hospital admission shape Mirja's decisions. Sirkka’s condition adds emotional urgency and heightens the stakes of family responsibility. Her presence acts as a moral compass and a catalyst for Mirja’s growth.

👩‍👧 Mother 🩺 Illness 💞 Family

Paul Lilja — Michael Lindgren

Hotel owner who takes a chance on Mirja and offers a trial job in room service, albeit with the caveat of pay under the table. He represents the lure and risks of legitimate work within a system that still exploits workers. His decision to fire Mirja after a theft drives a key turning point in the plot.

🏨 Employer 💼 Power dynamics 🏛️ Reality

Edit — Anna Bjelkerud

A mentor-like figure at the hotel who guides Mirja in her new craft. Their close working relationship becomes strained when Mirja’s personal loyalties collide with professional and ethical boundaries. Edit’s disappointment underscores the consequences of Mirja’s divided loyalties.

👩‍🏫 Mentor 🚦 Boundaries 🤝 Trust

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:45

Major Themes – Beyond Dreams (2017)

Explore the central themes of Beyond Dreams (2017), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏠 Family

The narrative centers on Mirja's return to her mother and sister, testing loyalties and care within a tight-knit family. The illness of Sirkka deepens the sense of responsibility and emotional stakes. Despite conflicts and past mistakes, the family bond remains a driving force for Mirja's choices and growth.

🧭 Identity

Mirja wrestles with her criminal past and the pull toward legitimate work. The tension between old friendships and new aspirations forces her to redefine who she is. The film tracks her search for self-determination in the face of social and economic pressure.

💪 Resilience

Mirja endures homelessness, unemployment, and betrayal, yet keeps moving forward. She adapts by taking a hotel job and pushing through systemic hurdles. The story centers on overcoming adversity and choosing a path that could break with her former life.

🤝 Friendship

A core group of friends supports and tests Mirja, highlighting the complexities of loyalty under pressure. Their dynamics shift as rivalries flare and later soften in moments of shared grief. The film frames friendship as both a source of strength and a mirror for personal change.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:45

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about redemption and found family like Beyond Dreams

Stories of desperate characters building new lives after a troubled past.If you liked Beyond Dreams, explore other movies about characters reintegrating after hardship, where the central theme is building a new life and finding an unconventional family. These films share a gritty, emotionally heavy tone and a steady, character-driven pace, focusing on the bittersweet struggle for personal redemption.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a protagonist emerging from a difficult past (incarceration, trauma, loss) and attempting to reintegrate into society. The central conflict arises from the pull of their old life versus the fragile stability of a new one, often centered around a group of people who become their chosen family. The ending is rarely simple, balancing the scars of the past with the tentative hope of the future.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a specific emotional core: the heavy, bittersweet journey of a damaged individual finding redemption through connection. They mix gritty realism with heartfelt drama, focusing on the power of non-traditional bonds and the difficult choices involved in changing one's life.

Movies with desperate moral dilemmas like Beyond Dreams

Character-driven dramas where poverty and desperation force impossible decisions.Find movies similar to Beyond Dreams that explore the heavy moral choices people face under the weight of poverty, class, and desperation. These character-driven dramas are tense and gritty, focusing on the conflict between doing what is right and doing what is necessary for survival.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist trapped by circumstances—often poverty, class, or a criminal past—facing a critical moral choice. The story builds tension as the character weighs their options, revealing the complexities of their relationships and the systemic pressures they are under. The climax is typically the making of a difficult decision, with the aftermath exploring the emotional and practical consequences.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their focus on ethical conflicts born from desperate situations. They share a gritty, tense mood and a steady pacing that allows for deep character exploration. The emotional weight is consistently heavy, making the viewer contemplate what they would do in similar circumstances.

Unlock the Full Story of Beyond Dreams

Don't stop at just watching — explore Beyond Dreams in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Beyond Dreams is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Beyond Dreams Summary

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Beyond Dreams Summary

Beyond Dreams Timeline

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Beyond Dreams Timeline

Beyond Dreams Spoiler-Free Summary

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Beyond Dreams Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Beyond Dreams

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