François is a young husband who lives in permanent picnic of bucolic bliss with his pretty wife, Thérèse, and their two children. Then François meets and begins and affair with Émilie, a young single woman who makes him feel equally blissful in an exciting new way.
You might be thinking, “So far, so summertime happiness.” But just wait—there’s a reason writer Jenny Chamarette called it “a horror movie wrapped up in sunflowers”. With its hazy rural charm, golden-afternoon infidelity and creepy vibes of pure positivity, Agnes Varda’s summer story is sunshine on the surface, with something much darker underneath.
Summertime Sadness
Long, hot summers have always been fertile ground for anxiety, danger and despair on screen. From holiday horrors to angsty coming-of-age tales, summertime sadness is a microgenre all on its own. Even the way we watch – sitting in a dark room – goes against the spirit of warm, sunny days. Escape the packed pubs, hay fever, and heatwave irritability, and come wallow with Zodiac Film Club in a mini-season of sad girl summer classics that lull you with sunshine... then give you a shock.
