After its screening at the 2021 BFI Flare, London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, MY FIRST SUMMER has been released on DVD
BY SIAN HOPKINS, IMAGES BY MATTHEW BRIGGS/PECCADILLO PICTURES
Want to kick off the summer season in style? Look no further than gorgeous coming of age picture, MY FIRST SUMMER. Premiering at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in 2021, it was directed by Katie Found. Featuring Markella Kavenagh (Lord Of The Rings, The Rings of Power) and Maiah Stewardson (Girl Asleep), this isn’t one to miss.
Capturing a first love in the heat of a holiday romance, this piece of cinema studies the blossoming relationship between two young women. After the death of her mother, 16-year-old Claudia is alone. She meets Grace after she appears in her garden and the two begin a special journey together. Both young adults find the support and intimacy they have been craving in each other, with Claudia’s sheltered naivety and Grace’s colourful, love of life, Grace guides Claudia into her world. Despite the bliss of their relationship, Grace and Claudia must navigate their way through the secrecy of their relationship, to avoid the harsh realities of prejudice and disapproval of those around them.
The cinematography of the film has been recalled as stunning and the style and outfits are chosen to frame the personality of their characters. Although an exploration of love, MY FIRST SUMMER is not a cliché coming out movie. Instead, it explores a natural love blossoming between two characters, and their respective sexualities aren’t overstated, but natural.
MY FIRST SUMMER is out on DVD now, available via the Peccadillo Pictures website, Amazon, FOPP and HMV, featuring bloopers and deleted scenes. To keep up with Peccadillo Pictures, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or visit their website to browse their latest releases. Want more LGBTQI flicks? Visit the BFI Player, featuring an impressive back catalogue of historic festival content.
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