Writer-director Miguel Llansó takes audiences to unexpected realms in Infinite Summer. The experimental druggie sci-fi drama follows Mia (Teele Kaljuvee-O’Brock), a genius who works at the Tallinn Zoo. Over summer break, she hangs out with her friends Grete (Johanna-Aurelia Rosin) and Sarah (Hannah Gross), who are a year or two older. Their days consist of beachgoing, partying, and “infinite dating,” a term referring to a hologram-based dating app. This is how Mia first encounters Dr. Mindfulness (Ciaron Davies), who offers meditation guidance in the most unusual way.
Sarah and Grete aren’t so sure about Dr. Mindfulness, seeing him as a loser drug dealer. But Mia is drawn to him, perhaps because her life has been so structured around education, and she really gets to let her hair down, so to speak. So the trio starts using the man’s apparatus, which resembles a high-tech gas mask, and it makes them feel good. However, they then experience visions on a cosmic scale, which may or may not be intentional. But why is Interpol investigating Dr. Mindfulness, and are the gas masks safe to use?
“…Mia first encounters Dr. Mindfulness, who offers meditation guidance in the most unusual way.”
“What if H.P. Lovecraft wasn’t a racist horror writer but an aloof hippie selling drugs?” This seems to be the question behind Infinite Summer. Llansó is less interested in telling a story than he is in transporting audiences into a mood on a truly epic scale. As such, the narrative doesn’t always hold together. For instance, what does Mia see in the schlubby Dr. Mindfulness? What do Grete and Sarah achieve by hiding their Ivo secret from Mia? The filmmaker may not be able to answer these questions fully or speak to the other elements that don’t quite add up. But the mood and hallucinatory visions are grand and entertaining. And to be fair, the second half, when Interpol shows up and the zoo reemerges as a pivotal place, is far more solid and coherent a plot than what comes before.
The cinematography, courtesy of Israel Seoane, is mindblowing. The film captures emotions on a grand scale, and the visuals match. The CGI looks like CGI, but still conveys the weirdness and fun it needs to. Composer Laurie Spiegel’s music complements the wild tone perfectly, adding to the strangeness in a most pleasing way.
Infinite Summer is a wild ride that isn’t easy to describe. Nor does its plot make perfect sense, but weird is the flavour of the day. Llansó transports audiences to a strange world filled with good times and odd happenings. The characters are interesting, and the visuals are out of this world, in more ways than one. While not for everyone, the right audience member will adore this, especially the pitch-perfect finale.
"…what if H.P. Lovecraft wasn't a racist horror writer but an aloof hippie selling drugs?"
