Aftersun, UK (Scotland) 2022

The theme for the next couple of films that I show explore the relationships between parents and their kids. Aftersun is a semi-autobiographical coming of age film directed by Charlotte Wells in her first film. The main character Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier when she was 11 years old. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.

The film received excellent reviews and Wells won the BAFTA award for "Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer" Whether you love it or don't may depend on what you remember about your dad.

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "Somehow, without its effects becoming obvious, Wells brings us to the gravity of what she is remembering. The accumulation of small details builds a strong sense of who these characters are."
The Post (NZ) reviewer wrote "Aftersun is a bright, funny, immensely likeable and touching film." and the BBC noted "a tremendous film. Something that looks at a hard topic like depression in a very beautiful and human way."

Films are at their best when they both entertain us and make us think.