Sanguinetti directs poetic debut on childhood in Argentina

Photographer Alessandra Sanguinetti has made her directorial debut with *The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer*, a dreamlike yet grounded film set in the Argentine Pampas, where two young cousins, Guillermina and Belinda, navigate the restless longing of childhood.

Sanguinetti, known for her intimate, long-term photographic projects, has spent years documenting rural Argentina, often focusing on the lives of young women. This film extends her exploration of childhood, memory, and the tension between innocence and experience. The story, inspired by her own observations of rural life, captures the girls’ playful yet macabre rituals—pretend funerals, mock surgeries on dead animals—as a way to grapple with time and mortality.

The film premiered to acclaim at a major festival, with critics praising its poetic realism and the raw, unfiltered performances of its young leads. Sanguinetti’s background in photography lends the movie a striking visual language, blending documentary-like authenticity with a lyrical, almost mythic quality.

*The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer* marks a significant shift for Sanguinetti, transitioning from still images to moving ones while retaining her signature sensitivity. It’s a meditation on growing up, the fleeting nature of youth, and the universal urge to both rush toward and resist the future. The film is expected to continue its festival run before a wider release.