Summer 1993
A six-year-old girl confronts bereavement and displacement during a charged summer with her new family in the Catalan countryside.
Overview
A poignant exploration of childhood grief and the struggle for belonging in a new home.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- wistful
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a subtle, thoughtful, and emotionally precise childhood drama elevated by Carla Simón’s direction and outstanding performances from its young leads.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frida interprets the adults’ evasions and the recurring blood motif without understanding the illness that killed her parents.
Frida and Anna’s games, quarrels, and daily life at the farmhouse carry the film’s emotional meaning.
Frida moves from Barcelona to her uncle and aunt’s old stone farmhouse near a dense forest.
Carla Simón draws on her own childhood experience to depict Frida’s relocation after her mother’s death.
Films like Summer 1993, and why
The Spirit of the Beehive
shared intimate coming of age drama, childhood perspective, and understated family grief
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
shared emotionally restrained childhood drama, rural setting, and themes of mourning and displacement
Nobody Knows
shared naturalistic family drama, child-centered perspective, and gentle catharsis
The Souvenir
shared autobiographical atmosphere, youthful grief, and quiet observation of family relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Carla Simón
- Release Date
- 2017-03-24
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (234)
Cast
- Laia Artigas
- Paula Robles
- Bruna Cusí
- David Verdaguer
- Fermí Reixach
- Montse Sanz
- Isabel Rocatti
- Berta Pipó
- Etna Campillo
- Paula Blanco
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel, OVID
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Summer 1993 about?
- A six-year-old girl confronts bereavement and displacement during a charged summer with her new family in the Catalan countryside.
- What is Summer 1993 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Summer 1993 as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Summer 1993 violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Summer 1993.
- What did critics think of Summer 1993?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a subtle, thoughtful, and emotionally precise childhood drama elevated by Carla Simón’s direction and outstanding performances from its young leads.
- Which films are like Summer 1993?
- Films with a similar feel include The Spirit of the Beehive, The Tree of Wooden Clogs, Nobody Knows, and The Souvenir.
- How long is Summer 1993?
- Summer 1993 runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Summer 1993?
- In United States, Summer 1993 streams on Criterion Channel, OVID.
