Summer Solstice
Trans man Leo’s (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) life is a jumble of auditions, acting classes, barista jobs, and situationships, all of which he hopes will amount to more. Unexpectedly, Leo’s college best friend, cisgender and straight Eleanor (Marianne Rendón), calls Leo announcing that she’ll be driving through NYC, and offers to pick him up for an impromptu trip upstate. They embark on the weekend getaway, marking their first time spent together since Leo began transitioning. Reunited with new gender dynamics between them, and uncovering problems lurking behind Eleanor’s “well-meaning” façade, Leo and Eleanor navigate how their old feelings towards one another exist within this new context, forcing them both to confront buried secrets and emotions. A modern twist on the buddy comedy from a queer and trans perspective, Noah Schamus’ debut feature is a celebration of friendship, resilience, and coming of age again.
“The genre of attractive, heartsick people wriggling in sun-kissed discomfort— a legacy extending from Eric Rohmer through Nicole Holofcener — has an appealing new portraitist in Brooklyn-based writer-director Noah Schamus... With Summer Solstice, trans visibility now has a sun-dappled comedy of manners for its nascent canon. Though modest in aim and light on its feet, it gives home that like with Rohmer, trans stories eventually reach all the seasons.”
- Los Angeles Times
“Critic’s Pick! A triumph of sensitivity… An aching ode to love worn thin, gesturing at how time and changes in circumstance, life planning or self-perception can deepen bonds, or erode them.”
- The New York Times
“Noah Schamus’ delightful trans comedy is a rich tale of friendship. Writer/director Noah Schamus takes us on a delightful but sharp-edged jaunt to Upstate New York in their sun-dappled and warmly directed buddy comedy.”
- IndieWire
