Summer Drift Brings Friendship and Reclamation to ACID Cannes
· food
The Camera’s Reclamation of Geneva
The Swiss-French feature “Summer Drift” premiered at ACID Cannes, bringing to the forefront a story both deeply personal and politically charged. Directed by Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter, this film weaves together documentary and autofiction to tell the tale of Johanna Schopfer, a watch factory worker in Geneva who finds solace and identity in restoring her vintage VW Beetle.
At its surface, “Summer Drift” appears to be a cinematic ode to the joys of tinkering with old machines. However, scratch beneath the 16mm film grain, and you’ll find a complex exploration of identity, labor, class, and violence. The return to mechanics drives the film, fueled by Johanna’s personal journey as she navigates her transition and finds solidarity in Geneva’s hidden rhythms.
The city itself is a character in this narrative, one that Carridroit and Suter sought to reclaim from its polished international image of banks, diplomacy, and luxury. By showcasing working-class garages, queer friendships, and alternative spaces, they expose the city’s underbelly – a history of resistance and occupation largely erased from mainstream consciousness.
Shooting on 16mm was a deliberate choice, one that allowed the filmmakers to inject warmth and texture into their narrative. As Suter notes, this format forced them to make strong choices and commit to an aesthetic both visually stunning and politically charged. By using 16mm, they pay homage to an era of cinema where trans people were erased from the visual narrative while challenging Switzerland’s dominant conservative vision.
The heart of “Summer Drift” lies in its portrayal of friendship and affection – the warmth between Johanna and her friends is a breath of fresh air in a cinematic landscape often dominated by struggle and identity politics. The final raft scene, with its vibrant colors and joyful abandon, testifies to the power of human connection.
As “Summer Drift” premieres at ACID Cannes, it marks not only a celebration of autofiction but also a reclaiming of Geneva’s image and identity. It invites us to consider how our cities are constructed – both physically and culturally – and how they can be reclaimed by those who inhabit them.
The film blurs the lines between documentary and fiction, creating a narrative that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. As we watch Johanna’s story unfold on screen, we’re reminded that identity is not fixed but fluid – and that our stories are worth telling. “Summer Drift” is a testament to the power of autofiction as a cinematic tool.
In the words of Aline Suter, “Summer Drift” will stay with us long after the credits roll. It’s a reminder that cinema has the power to reclaim and redefine our understanding of ourselves, our cities, and our places in the world.
Reader Views
- TKThe Kitchen Desk · editorial
While I applaud Carridroit and Suter's bold choice to reclaim Geneva's underbelly through Johanna's story, I'm left wondering about the long-term implications of using 16mm film in this way. As a nod to trans representation in cinema, it's laudable, but doesn't entirely address the fact that 16mm's grainy aesthetic can also be fetishized as "vintage" or "artistic," potentially reinforcing problematic nostalgia for a bygone era. What I'd like to see is more exploration of how this deliberate choice affects the film's accessibility and reception, particularly in a time when digital distribution has largely made traditional film formats obsolete.
- PMPat M. · home cook
While I appreciate the attention brought to Geneva's underbelly in "Summer Drift", I worry that the film's celebration of queer friendships and labor might overlook the very real economic challenges facing working-class individuals in the city. The watch factory where Johanna works is likely a microcosm of the globalized industry that drives gentrification and erases community histories. It's crucial to acknowledge these nuances when reclaiming urban narratives, lest we inadvertently perpetuate the same capitalist logics that erase the very stories we seek to tell.
- CDChef Dani T. · line cook
While the article shines a much-needed spotlight on Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter's bold film, I think it glosses over the financial accessibility of restoring vintage vehicles. For many working-class individuals like Johanna Schopfer, such projects are often out of reach due to prohibitively expensive parts or labor costs. The film's portrayal of class tension within Geneva's working-class garages is commendable, but I'd love to see more discussion on how these tensions intersect with the realities of economic inequality in Switzerland's service-oriented economy.