First Love, first breath|Oct. 24, 2020|Australia|78 Min.|n/A
Genre: Drama;Romance
Description: **My First Summer: A Touching Coming-of-Age Story**
The death of her mother leaves 16-year-old Claudia, played by Markella Kavenagh, deeply traumatized and isolated. Living alone with her dog in a remote cottage far from civilization, Claudia’s sheltered life takes a turn when Grace (Maiah Stewardson), who witnessed the incident that claimed Claudia’s mother’s life, seeks her out to check on her well-being.
An instant and intense connection forms between the two young women. For Claudia, this bond opens the door to a world beyond the confines of her home and the nearby woods. Together, they discover joy and companionship, sharing idyllic moments filled with simple pleasures like strawberry milk and marshmallows. However, their serene time together is fleeting, as the story delicately explores themes of growth, love, and self-discovery.
Directed by Katie Found, whose screenplay for *It Will Peck You* earned her an Australian Writers Guild award in 2016, *My First Summer* is a tender and beautifully crafted film. It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival and later screened at Flare, finding resonance particularly with young female audiences and LGBTQ-themed events.
The film begins with a sense of underlying darkness, hinting at the strained relationship between Claudia and her mother, a reclusive novelist played by Edwina Wren. Her mother’s belief that the world outside their secluded life is filled with pain shaped Claudia’s upbringing so profoundly that her existence remained unknown to authorities even after her mother’s death. While the story initially echoes themes from Yorgos Lanthimos’s *Dogtooth*, it soon shifts focus to the enchanting bond between Claudia and Grace, weaving a heartfelt narrative of love and healing.
Cast director: Katie Found
Cast actor: Markella Kavenagh, Maiah Stewardson, Edwina Wren, Harvey Zielinski, Steve Mouzakis, Arthur Angel, Katherine Tonkin
Original name: My First Summer