Identity is complicated, love is complicated, and when you put those two together you get, well, Summer Solstice, a dreamy, contemplative love story heading to the Provincetown Film Festival later this month.
Summer Solstice marks the feature film debut of Brooklyn-based, trans and non-binary filmmaker Noah Schamus and stars Bobbi Salvör Menuez (Adam) and Marianne Rendón (Charlie Says, Mapplethorpe). The film focuses on transman Leo (Menuez) and his straight cis friend Eleanor (Rendón) who reunite after a year in which Leo has begun his transition. The two take an impromptu trip together and things become very complicated when old secrets come to the fore, leading them to face new challenges and confront the age-old (and unfortunate) question: Can bad sex and good friends mix?
Courtesy of Noah Schamus
Schamus wrote the film inspired by their own real-life experiences dealing with changes in the dynamics of their friendships after they came out. It’s an experience many trans and nonbinary people can relate to and speaks to the importance of having queer stories told by the people who have lived them. Also, its starring actors can relate, like Menuez, who is a trans and non-binary actor who recently starred in My Animal opposite Amandla Stenberg.
“Working with Bobbi and Marianne was a dream come true, particularly on my first feature,” Schamus said of working with the two leads. “Beyond being fantastic actors, they are deeply empathetic, thoughtful, and kind. I had been living with the script and these characters for over two years and thought I knew Leo and Eleanor inside and out, but, every day, Bobbi and Marianne brought enormous nuance and depth to their characters in ways that I couldn’t have dreamed of before production.”
Courtesy of Noah Schamus
The film is set to premiere at the Provincetown Film Festival, renowned for its showcase of bold and exciting queer talent and films, this month. The festival runs June 14 to 18 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Tickets are available now. Watch the trailer for Summer Solstice below.
