A moving, truthful, and ultimately beautiful portrait of a family of women.
Carolina África is a renowned playwright, actor, and theatre director. In 2012 she won a Spanish theatre award for her play Verano en Diciembre (Summer in December). In 2024 she adapted the play for the screen, and is making her film directing debut with Summer in December.
Four generations of women gather regularly at their matriarch’s home in Madrid. Widow Teresa (Carmen Machi) has four daughters. One is travelling in Argentina. Alicia (Beatriz Grimaldos) is an artist who doesn’t sell much art and is having an affair with a married gallery owner. Carmen (Bárbara Lennie) is the mother of Teresa’s only grandchild, Zoe, but spends most of her time playing soccer and drinking. Paloma, (Victoria Luengo), stays at home and helps care for Teresa’s mother-in-law, Martina, who is 90 and sinking into dementia. Teresa despairs of her daughters, none of whom seem to have their lives together. When a suggestion is made that maybe Martina should go into residential care, tensions rise.
This feature’s foundation in the theatre is evident in the essentially one-set narrative. África has shaped some great scenes outside of the family home, allowing us to dive a little deeper into the sisters’ lives. But the true action really takes place around the dining room table, while Teresa serves various meals.
The all-star cast brings passion and commitment to this work, never allowing it to descend into simplistic kitchen-sink drama. There are scenes with Martina that lift this film into momentary brilliance with Lola Cordón giving a career-defining performance. Sadly, she passed away not long after the film opened.
Although structured around the classic family dynamic narrative, Summer in December particularly interrogates sisterhood. Any woman who has a sister will recognize something here. Also relatable is the slightly sanctimonious (almost martyrdom!) of Teresa, and the difficult decisions around caring for loved ones with dementia. With many laughs along the way, full of wisdom, and wild female energy, this is one beautiful, beautiful film.
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