Two sisters grapple with their relationship with their well-meaning but troubled father during their summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

Told in four snapshots spanning two decades, Alessandra Lacorazza’s directorial debut is a quietly powerful look at the fragile mosaic that underlies the relationship between parent and child. The cracks in the seams that get ignored, the events that shatter the relationship and, ultimately, the attempts to put it back together again, never quite the same. The film is anchored by a heartrending performance from René Pérez Joglar (also known by his musical moniker Residente) as the affable but deeply troubled Vicente who struggles with inner demons that keep him from fully connecting with his daughters. The sisters Violeta and Eva are presented by three sets of actresses, including Sasha Calle and Lío Mehiel, who brilliantly embody the growing chasm between their hopes and the reality of their father. The winner of the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, In the Summers is a stunning debut.––Faridah Gbadamosi

Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio