Namoi, a young Japanese woman (RINKO KIKUCHI), is given four days to say goodbye to her six-year-old son aboard a luxury yacht owned by her Western ex-husband and anchored somewhere off of an Italian island. As Eastern and Western cultures collide – and with an unfriendly crew and a distant child – she must find a way to not only overcome obstacles and connect with her son, but also to give him a piece of her culture before she must leave him for many years. Last Summer moves with the understated tension of a thriller, except instead of life and death the stakes are those of love and loss. Beautiful production design by multiple Academy Award winner MILENA CANONERO, tersely minimalistic dialogue, and unhurried, luscious cinematography create a unique palette which carries the viewer through this story of motherhood, conflicting cultures, love, and loss.

Not rated | 94 minutes