Photographer Alessandra Sanguinetti has made her directorial feature debut with “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” a film documenting the lives of two Argentine cousins over more than 25 years. Set in the Pampas region, the work follows Guillermina and Belinda from childhood through adulthood as they swim, dance, and engage in imaginative play that includes staging funerals and performing mock surgeries on animals. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival’s Filmmakers of the Present section, with support from producer Julia Solomonoff and funding from Mubi and Impact Partners.
The project emerged organically from Sanguinetti’s long-standing relationship with her subjects rather than from a predetermined artistic vision. Using both still photography and video, she captured intimate moments that revealed patterns in the cousins’ development over decades. Sanguinetti describes her approach as allowing life to unfold naturally before the camera, enabling her to later reflect on which moments proved formative to their identities and trajectories.
Animals play a crucial role throughout the film, occupying an equal space alongside the human subjects within the rural landscape. The director emphasizes the importance of livestock and farm creatures to both the ecosystem and the people who depend on it, rejecting their typical treatment as either mere pets or economic commodities. As Sanguinetti’s extended presence in the film became unavoidable, she ultimately accepted her own participation in the documentary, recognizing her voice and perspective as integral to the work’s emotional resonance.
Originally reported by Variety →
About the Author
