Coming-of-age with beautiful cinematography
Director: India Donaldson - Actors: James Le Gros, Lily Collias, Danny McCarthy
Length: 89 minutes - Language: English
- Subtitles: Dutch
NRC: "...rock-solid film debut . shots of inserting tampons are more important than the dialogues."
17-year-old Sam(Lily Collias) has a close and warm relationship with her father Chris(James le Gros). Chris accepts her completely as she is, but beneath the surface lurks tensions about the past. When they go backpacking with Matt, an old friend of Chris, the dynamic changes. The two men fill the conversations with memories and their own sorrows, while Sam mostly listens and does a lot of work. Only on their terms is she allowed to participate. Increasingly, Sam discovers she is on her own. It forces her to make an important decision about her own future.
An emotionally layered and subtle coming-of-age drama and a relatable story about family, trust and forgiveness. India Donaldson proves with her debut film that you can say a lot with few means. That is a recognized definition of good cinema.