Horror-Fantasy That Broke a Guinness World Record

A filmmaker determined to seamlessly blend European elegance with transatlantic showmanship, Mart Sander has built a career at the crossroads of film, music, and literature. With his latest film, Dr. Sander’s Sleep Cure, the Estonian director, actor, and musician has made cinematic history, achieving a Guinness World Record for playing an astonishing 48 different characters in a single film.

This extraordinary accomplishment was officially recognized at the Guinness World Records headquarters in London, where Sander was interviewed about the creative and technical challenges of undertaking such a feat. “Coordinating scenes where I had to act opposite five different versions of myself was a nightmare,” he admitted.

The film debuted at the Nevermore Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Critics commended its surreal and atmospheric storytelling, with festival director Jim Carl likening Sander’s dreamlike narrative to the works of Terry Gilliam. In an exclusive interview with Empire, Europe’s leading film monthly, Sander discussed how the film ties into his PhD research, which explores how films manipulate perception and create immersive experiences.

Though best known internationally as an auteur of five internationally distributed features and two TV drama series, Sander’s artistic journey began on stage. Over the years, he has toured the United States with his ballroom orchestra, bringing a touch of Old World sophistication to American audiences. Among his most notable performances was a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., held during an event officially recognized as “Estonia Day” by the city’s mayor.

Beyond music, Sander has also stepped into the theatrical spotlight in the U.S., performing Off-Broadway in his own one-man horror drama. “That experience shaped how I approach storytelling,” he says.

That theatricality is evident in Dr. Sander’s Sleep Cure, a tongue-in-cheek take onpsychological horror about an insomniac who turns to a therapy cassette for relief, only to experience increasingly surreal and terrifying hallucinations. Mirroring the feverish dreams of someone suffering from sleep disorders, something Sander himself has dealt with, the film builds an unsettling atmosphere, blending visual elegance with dark humor. Inspired by classic gothic horror, Sander also takes visual cues from the rich aesthetics of 1940s Technicolor films.

Sander’s versatile career extends far beyond cinema. He is also a painter, an author, with numerous novels to his name, and a musician who has performed extensively across Europe and the U.S. His career has even placed him in royal circles, as he has performed a Command Performance for HRH Queen Elizabeth II during her official state visit to Estonia. “I truly admired her,” he says. “We met on several occasions. She acknowledged my work in championing English music in Estonia.”

Now available on select VOD platforms and expanding throughout spring, Dr. Sander’s Sleep Cure offers an entertaining cinematic experience. Whether you’re curious to see if you can count all 48 of Sander’s roles, or just in the mood for something completely different, this is one to check out.

For more information, visit Dr. Sander’s Sleep Cure