While the attention paid to The Summer of Sangaile, Lithuania’s Oscar entry, hasn’t been significant — this is, let’s say, “not uncommon” for Lithuania’s Oscar entries — those who’ve seen it are mostly taken. Above all, here’s proof that what many acknowledge as familiar ground — albeit in a post-Warmest Color landscape, which might say more about an individual view than the actual state of things — can still be covered in an affecting and, yes, original manner. Having seen the film myself, I can vouch for its depth of emotional possibilities and the expressive, sometimes unpredictable eye that belongs to helmer Alanté Kavaïté.
Our own review also keen on the picture, saying, “Plot points such as Sangaile’s sleeping with a boy prior to getting together with Auste or her habit of cutting herself with dividers feel superfluous, constituting rare instances in which Kavaïté enters clichéd territory. Her innovation instead lies in methods of conveying Sangaile’s frame of mind through a constant fluctuation between naturalism and artificiality, with the balance shifting towards the latter in conjunction with the escalation of the emotions on screen.” Fortunately, Sangaile will soon be available for audiences to see.
Watch the trailer below (via Curve Mag):
The Summer of Sangaile will begin its limited release on November 27.