The Dream

— a short documentary by Dina van der Meer

A shirtless man climbing a rocky outdoor cliff, wearing climbing gear and shorts, with the text overlay 'Nederlands Film Festival Officiële Selectie 2026'.

Leon wants to take climbing in Albania to the next level. At the same time, he's trying to conquer the near-unclimbable mountain, The Dream. When his attempts stall, this documentary reveals that his dedication is about more than just climbing.

Five years ago, Leon moved to Albania. Since then, together with the local community, he's thrown himself into developing the sport of climbing in the country. No mountain seems too high for Leon, not even The Dream. Yet he still hasn't managed to conquer this fiendishly difficult route. Time and again, he tries, only to keep falling. As his responsibilities grow, the question starts to creep in: what is he really doing this for? This graduation documentary is a portrait of someone forging his own path, while also making that path accessible to others.

Synopsis: Netherlands Film Festival (NFF)

The Dream - Climax
Tibor Mercks
A landscape scene of a mountainous area with a valley, some trees, and a few buildings. In the foreground, there is a grassy hillside with a person and some animals grazing.
Two men in outdoor gear, standing next to a rocky cliff face surrounded by green trees, one holding climbing equipment and the other looking at a device, possibly a map or phone, outdoors in a wooded area.
A muscular man rock climbing outdoors on a steep, textured rock face.
A group of people walking on a city sidewalk next to parked cars and residential buildings.
A sunset over the ocean with a colorful sky and a dark silhouette of three people standing on rocks near the shore.

director Dina van der Meer | producers Tara Milošević, Jelani James & Mats Holterman | cinematography Thomas Zeman | editor Cynthia de Haan | sound designer Binck de Goeij | re-recording mixer Luc Smith | visual effects Tommy Ehrlich | composer Tibor Mercks | acoustic guitar Tibor Mercks | 1st violin Jan Dubielak | 2nd violin Alice van Binsbergen | viola Marike Knegtering | cello Katerina Semitekolou | double bass Ines Silva | studio engineer Ido Zilberman | production company Netherlands Film Academy | broadcaster AVROTROS