PICK OF THE FILMS

Marital separation is always a hard-hitting subject matter, particularly when there are children involved.

It’s precisely the premise upon which How To Stop A Recurring Dream, the debut feature from British filmmaker Ed Morris, is built.

Starring Bridgerton actress Ruby Barker as Yakira, the oldest of two sisters caught in the midst of their parents’ gritty separation, the film tackles a host of raw and emotive topics – from the realities of loss through to shifting family dynamics.

“I just loved this girl,” says Barker, 24, emphatically.

“It’s everything I love in a coming-of-age story.”

A project that also touches on questions surrounding identity, Barker’s character is shaped through her experiences growing up as the only mixed-race member of an otherwise all-white household.

“I relate to it as well because when my parents split up, my mum married a woman and she had a daughter. And so, I lived with two white mums and a white stepsister, and next door to me was a mixed-race family.

The film’s undeniably rough edges are at their most visible when the plot takes a dark turn, following on from the news that the impending separation will involve splitcustody of the siblings.

As Yakira takes matters into her own hands, she proceeds to kidnap her younger sister and takes to the road in an attempt to reconnect ahead of the pair’s parting.

“I love the dream-like quality of it and the trippiness and the darkness, and then the real heartfelt sadness of when it’s exploring loss and grief and separation,” Barker concludes. How To Stop A Recurring Dream is available on streaming platforms

Ruby Barker as Yakira