LAND OF HAPPY DREAMS (2016) Dances With Films 2017

Olivia is a  young girl who needs constant blood transfusions. Because of the cost her mother has to take matters into her own hands to assure that her daughters needs are met.

Well done film plays like the middle section of a longer film. In its current for LAND OF HAPPY DREAMS is a fifteen minute shaggy dog story with the pay off in the middle of the credits. Its good little film that leaves you wanting to know more.

The wanting to know more is a problem. We know there is something wrong with Olivia and we know she needs blood, which costs, but we are left kind of in the dark about anything else. Watching the film I felt we needed a bit more context or at least shading. We need a bit more of the whys and hows of the story. Its something I realized when I back and checked the write up on the Dances With Films website. The description provided shading and color that isn't in the film.

I'm torn. I like the film, but I don't love it. To me this would have been better either a couple of minutes shorter where it would have worked as neat little film with a good mid credits pay off, or as a slightly longer film where we had a bit more detail so the drama of it all played out and hit us. Ideally this could be turned into a feature.

As it stands now LAND OF HAPPY DREAMS is a good little film that's worth a look