The Sandman Trailer (2011)

A surreal comedy about a man who finds he can't seem to stop leaking sand, Swiss director Peter Luisi's The Sandman is absurdist and whimsical, but with a genuine edge provided by its not entirely likable hero.

Benno (Fabian Krüger) is kind of a jerk. He works at a philatelist store, buying stamp collections on the cheap from people who don't know that Uncle George's hobby was worth thousands, steals from his boss, bullies his co-worker and lies to his girlfriend. And he hates his downstairs neighbour, Sandra (Irene Brügger) a young barista with dreams of a musical future whose singing drives him to fits of bad behaviour.

Then one day Benno begins to notice that he is, somehow, leaving sandy deposits everywhere he goes. Doctors and friends assure him it is all in his mind, but nonetheless, Benno is leaking, and it's getting worse every day. Luisi takes this amusing, allegorical premise and runs with it, pushing the narrative into new areas as Benno discovers his sand has seemingly magical powers. Luisi's latest comic tale, a story of redemption and dreams with a sting in its tale, looks to be his international breakout.