The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer

Filming real women over three decades takes a lot of effort not to turn them into lab subjects or human guinea pigs.  Filmmaker Alessandra Sanguinetti avoids that danger with the unwavering trust and love of all participants in The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer, which welcomes a new directing voice in Latin American cinema: artistic, sensitive, but also down-to-earth.

Sanguinetti is a well-known Argentinian-American photographer, Magnum Agency member and Guggenheim Grant recipient. One of her photographic endeavors is a series of portraits of two girls in the Argentine countryside, far away from any city. Guillermina and Belinda, who are cousins, were easy to shoot; plastic and natural subjects both for a photographic and a video camera. For around 30 years we watch them play, more than work, with Sanguinetti, props at hand. Sanguinetti returned countless summers to the small community, producing a photographic book called The Adventures of Guille and Belinda, a spread in Vogue Italy with designer sets,  and several  shows.

In 2017, with more that 80 hours of video material shot, she sought help to transform the material into a “real movie,” as stated in the final credits. Argentinian director-producer Julia Solomonoff (The Last Summer of la Boyita, Hermanas, Nadie nos está mirando as director; Cocalero, Historias que solo existen cuando son contadas, Pendular as  producer) was the perfect fit; skillful, efficient, yet respectful. The team with editor Andrés Tambornino gave the material the formality and structure to make it an story that could be understood, enjoyed and cared about around the world.

The film begins when Guille and Belinda were nine or ten. After 20 minutes of coming and goings and a few chats with the girls, the narrative begins to lag and feel a bit boring. Maybe they have more material from that age. But then in the teenage years, the story deepens and we know we are in for a long-run event. The whole film is permeated by a great sensibility, without any hint of condescending, patronizing, or prying looks. Guille and Belinda talk only about what they want to, and  Sanguinetti doesn’t look for melodrama in a teenage pregnancy or emphasize their economic conditions. Guille and Belinda have an innate dignity and ability to be directed that puts them at home on an small ranch or a high fashion photo shoot. They wear designer clothes with the same nonchalance as they once wore their childhood cotton underwear.

Absent is any focus on poverty or local folklore, so common in Latin American cinema. It’s just everyday life in which the director and photographer is part of the family, like an honorary cousin.

The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer had its world premiere at Locarno where it won several awards. Judging by its warm reception at San Sebastian, the film should find more friends at festivals and even theatrical release.

Director, screenplay: Alessandra Sanguinetti
Producer: Julia Solomonoff
With: Guillermina Aranciaga, Belinda Stutz
Photography: Alessandra Sanguinetti
Editing:  Andrés Tambornino
Sound: Lena Esquenazi
Production companies: Everlasting Summer (Argentina) in co-production with Impact Partners (USA) and MUBI (USA)
World sales: Autlook (Austria)
In Spanish
Running time: 93 m.