Aftersun

The story unfolds in the summer of 1999, a late-1990s moment when vacation routines feel timeless and the pre-digital era still shapes how memories are captured. Sophie records the trip on a MiniDV camera, freezing grainy moments in time. The footage libates the past and foregrounds memory as a living, evolving record that influences how the present is understood.

A sun-soaked Turkish resort provides the backdrop for a father-daughter holiday. The bright beaches, hotel pools, and bustling nightlife create a carefree veneer that sharpens the film’s emotional undercurrents. The setting acts as a memory-making stage where ordinary moments become lasting fragments that linger beyond the holiday.

🕰️ Memory

Memory sits at the center as the camera preserves moments that later carry the weight of absence. The film blurs present and past through Sophie’s perspective and dreamlike sequences that reinterpret what happened. Memory becomes a living landscape where everyday joys and unspoken fears persist.

👪 Family

At its heart, Aftersun examines the father-daughter bond, a careful balance of warmth and concern. Calum’s effort to protect Sophie contrasts with his hidden vulnerability, shaping their interactions in quiet, intimate ways. The trust and tension between them echo through shared rituals and small gestures that linger after the holiday ends.

🌧️ Inner Struggle

Calum’s anxiety and depression remain largely concealed beneath a calm exterior, guiding many of his choices. Small signs—a rug purchase, a missed duet, late-night cigarettes—signal a larger burden beneath the surface. The film suggests that inner turmoil can coexist with love, creating a delicate, aching tension that memory both preserves and complicates.