Private Project

Dreaming with Lola

Dreaming with Lola is a documentary about the duck farmer Khaiti Hallstein who follows her dream of owning a small farm after her mother’s death. She is driven by a desire to have a voice in food production and find her true calling.

  • Jila Nikpay
    Director
    Happy Republic (2015), Divided (2014), Ways of Becoming (2013), Hour of the Dark (2011), In Waiting (2008), Labyrinth (2007), Rhythm of Tides (2007), Keepers of the Garden (2004), Shroud and Torrent (2003)
  • Jila Nikpay
    Producer
    Happy Republic (2015), Divided (2014), Ways of Becoming (2013), Hour of the Dark (2011), In Waiting (2008), Labyrinth (2007), Rhythm of Tides (2007), Keepers of the Garden (2004), Shroud and Torrent (2003)
  • Khaiti Hallstein
    Key Cast
  • Jila nikpay
    editor
    Happy Republic (2015), Divided (2014), Ways of Becoming (2013), Hour of the Dark (2011), In Waiting (2008), Labyrinth (2007), Rhythm of Tides (2007), Keepers of the Garden (2004), Shroud and Torrent (2003)
  • Jila Nikpay
    cinematography
    Happy Republic (2015), Divided (2014), Hour of the Dark (2011), Labyrinth (2007), Keepers of the Garden (2004), Shroud and Torrent (2003)
  • Michael Terati
    sound recordist/composer
    Hour of the Dark (2011), Labyrinth (2007), Rhythm of Tides (2007), Shroud and Torrent (2003)
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jila Nikpay

Jila Nikpay's films explore the dynamics of power between the individual and society. She has produced nine short films, Happy Republic (2015), Divided (2014), Ways of Becoming (2013), Hour of the Dark (2011), In Waiting (2008), Labyrinth (2007), Rhythm of Tides (2007), Keepers of the Garden (2004), Shroud and Torrent (2003), funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation, IFP/Minnesota, and the Puffin Foundation. Her films have been screened at the Walker Art Center and various international film festivals as well as broadcast on Public Television in the US.

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Director Statement

In my films I explore the relationship between identity and power. The stories of my films focus on exiles, dislocated people, and those living on the margins. Dreaming with Lola is about following one’s dream and having the courage to face difficult choices. My heroine is a young farmer, an idealist who is fiercely independent yet vulnerable. Khaiti Hallstein is a complex character, living in isolation and that is what inspired me to make the film.