My First Summer

Warning. Suicide content. I watched this movie this morning in bed feeling miserable with a cold awaiting a Covid test. I recommend watching it in bed, somehow feeling cocooned by my doona helped me be more fully emmersed and comforted as required. What a gem of a movie! I love Australian film and still very much enjoy handing over my money at the box office to take a seat in front of the big screen whenever a new Australian film is released.. Somehow I missed this one. This poignant story explores the honesty of what it is to be a girl and the unpredictability of transitioning to womanhood. It weaves the complexities of truth, trust, trauma and loss with the terrifyingly wonderful ideas of love and friendship. The sensitivity in which the difficult subject of mental Ill health and suicide are dealt with is to be applauded. The gentleness takes nothing away from the experience. Washed with a quintessential Australian flavour, the professionalism of two amazing young actresses and you are left feeling you have just been part of something very special.

There's some obvious lack of experience here but as a first feature on a low budget, the effort and potential is evident too.

The real star in the cinematography. Just beautiful. First class. The locations and light are also wonderful but that's the cinematographer bringing it to life. Country Victoria is prime cinematic territory.

The music too is also very good.

A little irony there as with a female writer/director, female main cast and a lesbian story, it's Matthew Chuang who shines.

It's often slow and dull. The story seems thin and unrealistic. It doesn't hold water. (Excuse the pun). If there had been some maturity in the screenplay, the deficiencies in the story could have been overcome. The two leads deserved some more interaction with some substance. All that time alone with not enough going on between them. Markella Kavenagh isn't always convincing either but much of that is her character. It's not a realistic one.

All of the supporting cast have cliched dialogue and a lack of realism. This is again, down to the writing.

The direction is nice at times. The lipstick scene in particularly is quite touching.

The editor and director working together have wisely chosen some of those beautiful images to insert along the way. The close ups of the flowers etc. Or that could have been the intent all along. I keep coming back to that because it's the standout.

I know nothing about the director but hopefully she is young and in time, will develop. Certainly in the screenplay department. Often directors think they're writers too. Rare is the person who can successfully pull off both. There's certainly a lot to like. Just not there yet.

A good effort.

A sweet, tender & heartfelt story of first love & sapphic romance, My First Summer captures the intoxicating feeling of falling in love and the restorative power of human connection with all its warmth, purity & innocence in tact. Beautifully anchored by arresting performances & vibrant chemistry between its leading ladies, the film addresses the themes of loss, support, intimacy & sexuality through their amity.

Written & directed by Katie Found in what's her directorial debut, the story features a simple, small-scale premise which Found renders on screen with unfailing gentleness & compassion. The connection & affection that develops between the two girls isn't hurried, unfolds at their pace of comfort and feels organic throughout. And despite being only 78 mins long, the flow of events remains relaxed & breezy from start to finish.

The radiant camerawork, bright colour palette & warm lighting aptly reflect the comfort the teenagers feel when they are together while the sexual tension between them is allowed to build up gradually. Markella Kavenagh articulates her character's trauma & timidness with sincerity. Maiah Stewardson exudes an infectious spirit & life-affirming energy that just fits her role. And the score & songs add their own flavours to the mix.

Overall, My First Summer is comforting, heartwarming & effervescent in its portrait of young love and is crafted with honesty & told with affection. The film doesn't try to overcomplicate things, keeps the romance accessible, and basks in the blossoming relationship between its characters. A pleasant surprise that commences the debutant director's filmmaking journey on a promising note, this Aussie teenage romance is definitely worth your time.

I expected to be bored but It was so wholesome and sad and just perfect. I just know that im going to rewatch it a lot of times. Im already emotionaly attatched.

Honestly the most wholesome, joyful and sorrowful thing I have ever had the pleasure to watch. The acting is superb- Stewardson I have seen in other things so I knew her acting would be fantastic but Kavenagh has balances the action perfectly and thrives in a deprived character bringing true mental health awareness. Both of them are so skilled. Found has written a perfect script which they have managed almost without a flaw. The cinematography and music elevates this piece. Just lovely.