Isabelle Stever and her wife, Ukrainian writer Anna Melikova, have discussed how the shoot for their new film "I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming" was reshaped by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ahead of its premiere in competition at the Locarno Film Festival. The film, a queer love story inspired by real friends, was originally intended to be shot largely in Germany with only brief exterior scenes filmed in Ukraine, but the filmmakers ultimately decided authenticity demanded shooting on location in Kyiv despite the risks of wartime production.

The film follows Oleh, a transgender man who receives a passport reflecting his correct name and gender shortly before his girlfriend Olya proposes, only for the couple's plans to be upended by the invasion, forcing them to devise an escape plan that tests their relationship. Both lead roles are played by non-professional actors, Markus Bright and journalist Tania Myronyshena, chosen partly for their physical resemblance to one another, with casting decisions including a chance social media discovery and a recommendation from a Kyiv festival jury. The film marks Stever's return to Locarno two decades after her 2005 debut "Gisela," and is her second collaboration with Melikova following 2022's "Grand Jeté."