Aftersun (2022)

Aftersun is a 2022 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Charlotte Wells in her directorial debut. The film follows Sophie, an 11-year-old girl from Edinburgh, who goes on a summer holiday to Turkey with her father Calum, a 30-year-old widower who is struggling with depression and financial problems. Sophie records the holiday on a MiniDV camera, while Calum tries to hide his troubles from her. The film alternates between Sophie’s perspective as a child and as an adult, who looks back on the holiday with mixed feelings of nostalgia and regret. The film explores themes of love, loss, memory and mental health, and features naturalistic performances from Frankie Corio as young Sophie and Paul Mescal as Calum. The film premiered at Cannes in May 2022 and received critical acclaim and several awards nominations.