The Last Summer of La Boyita

The lush countryside of Argentina sets the tone for this tender tale of the summer when childhood is left behind.

Precocious Jorgelina may be young but is well versed in the changes that come with puberty, both by her father, a medical doctor, and older sister Luciana, who has just entered the world of push-up bras and feminine hygiene products. Jorgelina opts to head off to her father’s ranch to spend the summer swimming and horseback riding. Lonely for a playmate, she desperately shadows the withdrawn young ranch hand Mario who has little time for her childish pursuits.

The summer wears on, and the two become close. Jorgelina acts as an older sister to Mario, fiercely protecting him against the taunts of more aggressive ranch-hands and educating him on the physical changes of adolescence. After consulting Jorgelina’s father’s medical texts, Mario confides that his body doesn’t look like the picture of either the man or the woman. Mario and his parents must confront something they can no longer deny.

“La Boyita” refers to the family camper that writer/director Julia Solomonoff remembers from her own childhood as “a place for childhood games and confessions.” The summer setting serves as a graceful metaphor in this sun-drenched drama; as school uniforms are sloughed off in favor of bathing suits, much more is revealed. –Holly Roach, Frameline 34