Review of  The Summer With Carmen

Review of  The Summer With Carmen

So in this time of upheaval, a person has to find their queer joy where they can. So when I got the chance to check out the upcoming film from Peccadillo Pictures  (In Cinemas on 28th Feb in the UK and Ireland), The Summer With Carmen, I jumped at the chance.   

The film, directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis and starring lead actor Yorgos Tsiantoula, chronicles the summer in the lives of two friends as they try to write a movie screenplay. They settle on chronicling a tumultuous summer when Demios (Yorgos Tsiantoula) breaks up with his partner, gains a dog, and learns about himself.   

Deimos’ best friend Nikitas (Andreas Lampropoulos) has been given an opportunity to pitch his feature film to a producer. The only problem is that he hasn’t written the screenplay yet. He decides to team up with Deimos on a story about one chaotic summer.  In just a few months, Deimos has to break up with his long-term partner, deal with his family,  and attempt to convert their stage play into a possible movie.  The only centering force in his life is Carmen, a stray dog that becomes part of his life and causes him to reflect on many things in his life.  

The film wears its meta-ness on its sleeve.   The movie is split between the friends working on the screenplay and flashbacks to the events that inspired the script.   This allows for foreshadowing, making the viewer curious about when the events they refer to passing will occur.  The film is filled with lots of eye candy, hookups, and drama, but the heart of it is Deimos’ relationships, both with Carmen, the puppy, and Nikitas, his best friend.  The film was a little slow in parts but the ending is heartfelt and hopeful. People can grow, hearts can mend, and friendship will get you through a lot.