Here’s why you should watch ‘The Sleepless’ film by director Michael DiBiasio
We all know those nights where you find yourself staying up far too late, so you go on an adventure because if you are not going to sleep, why not do something interesting? That’s the exact feeling director Michael DiBiasio is trying to capture in his new film, The Sleepless.
Following two chronic insomniacs on their first date, The Sleepless is a unique take on the meet-cute stereotypes of rom-coms, having two people meet for the first time as they fight their insomnia. It’s not entirely a unique story for DiBiasio, as he himself suffered from insomnia for a large portion of his life. During one of his sleepless nights, he got the idea for The Sleepless.
Rom-com late at night
The basic premise of The Sleepless is two insomniacs, Zach & Sophia, end up on an impromptu first date after the two meet while wandering the streets. Both are chronic insomniacs and find themselves more often than not wandering the streets of NYC pre-dawn.
Telling DiBiasio’s own story
Director Michael DiBiasio may not have met the love of his life like in his film, but he himself knows the idea of wandering the city while dealing with insomnia. On an early morning coffee run, the idea came to DiBiasio as he recounts. “What if two people met under these circumstances? The predawn hours can be so raw, and yet so simple. What if . . . such a pair also took a chance on each other?”
From there, DiBiasio builds the world of Zach & Sophia through a low-light camera, and a unique look at nighttime. The feature film is only DiBiasio’s second time as director, but it’s clear he has the talents to create strong, gorgeous films.
DiBiasio creates human stories
As DiBiasio dealt with his own battle of insomnia, he revisits the feeling of coming into the world as dawn is peaking its shiny head. “It’s peaceful, most of the time. It can also feel lonely. Alienating.” The world of The Sleepless paints a picture of humanity at its most vulnerable, as DiBiasio tries to show how raw the morning can be.
Similar to his first film, The Videoblogs, Michael DiBiasio has been making stories that are the definition of human for the past four years. The stories DiBiasio features are the definition of human emotion, and attempt to show us the beauty of humanity, no matter what comes at us. This is what sets DiBiasio apart from his colleagues, and what makes him one of the greats.
Rob
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I just watched the film “The Sleepless.” The first half felt like a bit of a struggle between the two insomniacs, each trying to maneuver the other into an intellectual headlock. Their respective weapons of choice were the scares they carried from past relationships, which made them both defensive. This defensiveness made for discourse that was both intriguing, and at times annoying. Just as the aspiring couple appeared to reach an impasse, and were about to call it quits, they realized that they both actually wanted to save the rapidly sinking ship. This was the moment that I embraced the film. The two strangers acknowledged that they were both damaged goods and they refused to allow that to force them apart. THAT really grabbed my heart, and I was now pulling for them. Because let’s face it – we’re all damaged goods. I was not expecting her to run after him at the end, but I literally cheered when she did. So, it turned out to be feel good story to me. I enjoyed the film.
August 22, 2021