In Meet Me en Rêve, the boundaries between fantasy and reality blur as a woman wrestles with the confines of heteronormativity, self-repression, and the weight of societal expectations. Helmed by a filmmaker with a rich background in acting, television, and voice work, the film is a deeply psychological and visually striking exploration of identity.
In this exclusive interview with Bethany Brown, the director shares insights into the inspiration behind the film—how a real-life experience witnessing homophobia on set led to a story about the contradictions of desire, self-denial, and the masks we wear. They discuss the challenges of crafting a narrative where love and hate, intimacy and violence, are not opposites but tangled reflections of each other.
With a carefully constructed visual language, dynamic performances, and an open-ended structure that invites the audience to reflect on their own biases and experiences, Meet Me en Rêve is a conversation-starter as much as it is a film. We delve into the director’s journey, from shadowing acclaimed filmmakers to crafting their own unique vision—one that challenges, provokes, and ultimately asks: Who are we, when stripped of the roles we’ve been told to play?
Patrick Roy, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): With over 100 credits in film, television, and voice acting, you’ve had an incredibly diverse career. How has this breadth of experience influenced your approach as a director in Meet Me en Rêve?
Bethany Brown (BB): I have had the opportunity to shadow incredible directors. I believe mentorship is insanely important in the arts but especially film. I am eternally grateful for the people who took me under their wing – one of those being my lead actress Jessica Harmon who I’ve gotten to shadow on multiple films that she’s directed. We worked on a show called The 100 on the CW. It was a fan favourite and a really hard show to shoot – we were basically making an action film every episode and with an ensemble cast there was so much coverage to get as well. Being in that environment taught me how to be economical and that when you want intensity having multiple set up’s and quick cuts is a way of achieving that. Working on The Astronauts I was given incredible book recommendations by Dean Israelite that allowed me to learn about “the visual story” a book by Bruce A. Block that I can’t recommend enough.
I’ve had quite a lot of time on set which has taught me an infinite amount – time in the chair is absolutely invaluable. And I still have so much to learn.
As an actor you start to get a rhythm for blocking to limit the number of set ups (shots) when you’re tight for time or having some fun with set up’s and getting creative when you can. I knew I wanted to do one scene as a simple oner and have the dialogue really tumble over itself to show how good our characters Ella and Eric are together in so many ways, but even so – they aren’t REALLY communicating. I wanted Ella to have the feeling of being stuck in one frame with nowhere to go. And this would contrast the fun we had with set up’s and creativity in Ella’s inner world, her fantasy.
(UM): Many actors eventually transition into directing, but not all of them
explore deeply personal, psychological narratives in their first film.
What drew you to this particular story for your directorial debut?
(BB): I’m really fascinated by psychology and the differences (and similarities) between people. I find it odd and intriguing that some of the most brutal narratives (homophobia, racism, transphobia) become dominant in some societies. I wanted to explore a “woman against herself” narrative because so often it is woman in relation to another person (usually a love interest) or her environment. This started off as a diary entry after witnessing an actress attempt to get some gay folks fired off set because she struggles with homophobia – it was horrible to experience for everyone involved and really strange how fixated she was. In my journaling I realized that hate and love are such close cousins. For my debut I wanted to tell an interesting story that hasn’t been fully explored. So I brought this journal entry to life – the compassionate exploration of the confines of heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality and how it can manifest into homophobia.
(UM): The film explores the tension between fantasy and reality, particularly in relation to self-identity and repression. What inspired this story, and did it draw from any personal or observed experiences?
(BB): It was because of a combination on set experiences with folks who so deeply struggle with their sexuality and make it quite an uncomfortable experience for those around them. I wanted to take a compassionate look at what it might be like for that person. And meditate on how we walk through life playing a certain role when many of us have rich and secret inner worlds – I was questioning if our inner fantasies should be incorporated into our identity and if that would make this an easier and more honest world for all of us to live in.
(UM): Ella’s struggle with self-acceptance plays out through both intimate and violent imagery. Can you talk about the use of contrast in the film—how passion and aggression intertwine in her inner world?
(BB): Ella had spent a lifetime strangling her desires and prioritizing others expectations so eventually the repression of desire, the things she worked so hard to shove down emerge violently.
Love is not the opposite of hate, they are quarreling cousins. They both fixate and deeply desire, lighting us on fire from the inside out. Like intimacy and violence – the desire to lay your hands on another, it’s just degrees of inertia. A tickle or a scratch.
We only hate that which is within us. That that is mirrored back in freedom forces us to look at ourselves and the things we’ve dismembered and suffocated.
(UM): One of the film’s most compelling elements is its ambiguity—particularly
the ending. As a director, how did you approach leaving the audience
uncertain about what is real and what is fantasy?
(BB): I wanted to spark conversation and create an environment where the answer you find is far more a reflection of who you are and what you’ve experienced than a reality for our characters. Who you are and what you’ve experienced is what you should be expressing to your friends and family – far more than recounting a film. The world heals in honesty and dialogue. That was my goal – for folks to solve this puzzle as they solve or discover themselves.
(UM): The café scene, where Ella lashes out at Riley, is emotionally charged and deeply revealing. How did you work with Jessica Harmon and Aria DeMaris to bring that complex moment to life?
(BB): We had an intimacy coordinator on set and we worked with continual and enthusiastic consent. So we set our parameters of what was off the table (places people did not want to be touched or shown etc) and then we worked with and had a lot of fun with what was on the table.
Jess Harmon is an incredible actor with 25 years experience so there isn’t much she cannot do. And Aria DeMaris was such a light and so game to tell this story – I’m very grateful. We actually shot much of that scene in one take. It was really dynamic and we had gotten such great emotion I knew I had what I needed for the edit and was cognizant to not ask too much emotional belabouring from my actors.
I treat intimacy and stunts the same way – they are both clearly mapped out. They’re both very technical and then the acting makes it look as real as possible. I find actors tend to feel quite safe when they know the limits and are allowed to explore and play within them, finding the truth of that moment.
(UM): The film’s cinematography and use of lighting, especially in moments of emotional turmoil, are striking. How did you collaborate with your cinematographer to visually represent Ella’s inner conflict?
(BB): I had a pretty detailed shot list with photo and colour references and we has multiple meetings prior to shooting and meticulously planned/discussed the lighting and shots on our tech scout. I’d really wanted to create a rich and vibrant inner world compared to the more predictable and drab external world. My DP, Corey McGregor was phenomenal with bringing this vision to life. I can’t say enough about how open, receptive and creative he was. We were lucky with the team we had.
(UM): As a BIPOC and LGBTQ+ filmmaker, how important was it for you to tell a story that captures the nuances of identity struggles within the queer community?
(BB): Honestly, I don’t think this film is about the struggles of the queer community – I think the struggle with heteronormativity in this story was quite embedded within the “straight” community. Heteronormativity creates toxicity because it demands for people to lie about who they are or what they may wish to experience even just once. When someone is open to being queer there is far more gentleness and curiosity. When someone expects themself to be straight or society expects them to be hetero yet their fantasies don’t align, this is a breeding ground for self hate. I think the queer community offers a soft place to land and a world where authenticity is priority – that’s why it makes straight people so furious, because many of them are stuck in a lie. I’m not saying that everyone is queer – but I do think there is far more fluidity in the human experience. And I think identity is malleable and deserves to grow and change over time.
(UM): Meet Me en Rêve has won and been nominated for multiple awards, particularly in LGBTQ+ and international categories. What has been the most rewarding part of seeing the film resonate with audiences worldwide?
(BB): Making the film, I worried it might only resonate with local audiences because it’s quite a specific experience. Straight girl has gay fantasies and rages when approached with it in “real life”. I was thrilled to hear during the audition process that many people resonated with the content and felt that they hadn’t had the opportunity to tell this experience as it’s one they’d had personally.
I was also quite surprised when speaking with an audience member from China who said that this was her most common experience that she wished was discussed more. So for it to be so warmly received on an international level is an absolute honour.
(UM): This film leaves us with an open-ended question about self-discovery. What do you hope audiences take away from Ella’s journey, and do you see yourself continuing to explore similar themes in future projects?
(BB): I hope audiences take away that the point is to explore – it’s not about “the answer”, it’s about the question. Explore ourselves, explore others. Be willing to have conversations before knowing the outcome. We are too fixated on knowing if someone is “gay” or not. It leaves no room for exploration, intrigue, fantasy, play. And when people ask me, “well is Ella gay?” My answer is that currently she is with Eric and really enjoys him – but she also has other desires that she hasn’t explored. She may be bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous, homosexual, heterosexual but again, she hasn’t explored to find out because she is stuck in a cage of heteronormativity.
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