Category: Women Power
Language: Lithuanian
Director: Alante Kavaite
Running time: 1h 30 minutes
The Summer of Sangaile is featured in the Women Power section, and is about a summer love story that taught Sangaile to not just dream but wake up to it.
Sangaile is at her parents’ lakeside villa in Vilnius. Troubled teenager that she is, she is prone to masochistic behaviour whenever lead to doubt herself. She likes the idea of flying and looks through aeronautical books, but is unable to overcome her fear of flight due to vertigo threat.
She meets Auste, a local girl, at an aeronautical show. Auste is very young, but she’s a photographer-designer-waitress. She’s creative, carefree and sensual, whereas Sangaile is diffident, temperamental and lonely. Auste takes to Sangaile and the two begin to like each other’s company, and explore the possibilities of their dynamic sexuality.
Auste encourages Sangaile to fly and face her fear. The two develop a bond that changes things about the latter. But that’s as far as the story goes. If portraying lesbian love is brave, then yes it is a brave attempt. But then, the story is bleak, lacks depth, and stands incomparable to some of the other intense dramas of related theme.
And if all ‘summer’ romances are ephemeral as the West says, then the climax justifies the title too. So what’s left? A romance that induces no flutter, ache or love even.
Star factors
» Enchanting Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is shown in all its beauty.
» Great cinematography with lots of aerial views composed in mellow light.