Reconnecting with a College Friend in Indie ‘Summer Solstice’ Trailer
by Alex Billington
May 6, 2024
Source: YouTube
“Still me, Eleanor. Definitely still me. Cartilage Films has revealed an official US trailer for an indie drama titled Summer Solstice, set for small art house summer opening in limited theaters this June. The film originally premiered at the 2023 Provincetown Film Festival, as well as the Deauville, Woodstock, and BFI Flare Film Festivals. Summer Solstice centers on Leo, a trans man, and Eleanor, his cisgender and straight friend from college, who embark on an impromptu weekend trip together going upsate. They uncover old secrets, new challenges, and find the answer to the age-old question: can bad sex and good friends mix? Maybe! Maybe not? Starring Bobbi Salvör Menuez as Leo and Marianne Rendón as Eleanor. One early review praises this as “a remarkable little movie about finding emotional maturity through honesty, most importantly with yourself.” This looks like it features two lovely lead performances within a heartfelt story.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Noah Schamus’ film Summer Solstice, direct from YouTube:
In Summer Solstice, trans man Leo’s (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) life is a jumble of auditions, acting classes, barista jobs, situationships, all of which he hopes will amount to more. Unexpectedly, Leo’s college best friend, the 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 & Eleanor navigate how their old feelings towards one another exist within this new context, forcing them both to confront buried secrets & emotions. Summer Solstice is written and directed by American filmmaker Noah Schamus, making their feature directorial debut after making many other short films previously. This initially premiered at the 2023 Provincetown Film Festival last year. Cartilage Films debuts Summer Solstice in select US theaters on June 14th, 2024 this summer. For more info, visit the film’s official site.