Georgia-based filmmaker Timothy Hall’s Summer Lost, which premiered at the River Run International Film Festival and was quickly followed by a screening at the Atlanta Film Festival, subverts all expectations of the American South and deals with sociopolitical changes in the Georgia landscape. Hall is a filmmaker I personally know, and I appreciate his style in terms of both the stories he tries to tell as well as how he tells them.  His latest is no exception and deserves to be on everyone’s watchlist.

Two men meet at a wedding retreat in North Carolina, Jordi (Eduardo José Paco Mateo) and Nick (Ryan Austin). Sparks begin to fly as Jordi tries to conceal his terminal illness from Nick. There are “independent” films, and then there are independent films. Summer Lost was filmed over a few days in North Carolina on a $3,000 budget; one could be convinced the budget was much higher. Hall’s direction, along with Walker Forshee’s cinematography, is gripping and fully immerses you in the intimate North Carolina setting. The house where Ryan lives and rents out is a great setting for the story, and the natural beauty of the North Carolina woods is easy to fall in love with. Although the film was filmed primarily on iPhones (which typically takes me out of films), it did so in a natural, honest way and stayed true to both its production scope and the believability of the story. It felt like capturing non-linear memories, especially in moments where Jordi goes abroad.

The heart of this film lies in the chemistry between Jordi and Nick. Their relationship and how it evolves is so naturalistic, and both actors explore the same peaks and valleys as the other, which is very moving to see. Other than the slow start of the script, the core of their relationship growing throughout the film grabs you and doesn’t let your heart go for the remainder of the runtime.

There are many moments where this film feels like a Wong Kar-Wai film in the way it plays with memory and how it’s edited. There is a fun combination between an early Jeff Nichols’ film in how it subverts Southern culture and a realistic representation of queer love and playing with memory like in Happy Together (1997). Hall is someone who is thorough in his visions, and there’s a groundedness and melancholy to his work to appreciate. Here’s to hoping that after its festival run, Summer Lost is picked up by a distributor. If you’re looking for a Melancholic Queer Southern Romance, you have one to look forward to!

Review courtest of Justin Duggan

Feature image credit to of Born River Bye Films