Courtesy of Cartilage Films
“Leo, a trans man, and his cisgender and straight friend Eleanor go on a weekend trip, during which they uncover some old secrets, new challenges, and find the answer to the age-old question: can good friends and bad sex mix?” Screening followed by a conversation between Writer, Director, and School of the Arts alum Noah Schamus ’21 and Ron Gregg, Film and Media Studies, positioning Summer Solstice within the history of queer cinema.
New or First-Year Columbia University students attending this event will receive credit for the Inclusion and Belonging component of the Columbia Citizenship Initiative.
“A triumph of sensitivity from first-time feature filmmaker Noah Schamus.”
–The New York Times
“Schamus’ sensitive and funny debut brings its anxieties and pleasures to full bloom so they can be properly considered and found suitably fleeting. Perhaps most importantly, with Summer Solstice, trans visibility in film now has a sun-dappled comedy of manners for its nascent canon.”
–The Los Angeles Times
About Summer Solstice:
“Trans man Leo’s (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) life is a jumble of auditions, acting classes, barista jobs, and situationships, all of which he hopes will amount to more. Unexpectedly, Leo’s college best friend, 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 and Eleanor navigate how their old feelings towards one another exist within this new context, forcing them both to confront buried secrets and emotions. A modern twist on the buddy comedy from a queer and trans perspective, Noah Schamus’ debut feature Summer Solstice is a celebration of friendship, resilience, and coming of age again.”
2023 | English | 81 minutes
Co-presented by the School of the Arts Film Program; Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender; and University Life.