Summer’s Camera: Picture Perfect
by Karenna Blomberg
Summer’s Camera is writer and director Divine Sung’s debut feature film, but it’s hard to tell while watching it; the film’s natural depth and stunning composition carry the mark of a much more experienced filmmaker. I first caught it during its run at SIFF 2025, but there is no better time than Pride Month to turn you on to this understated yet sincere queer coming-of-age story.
The movie follows a Korean teen, Summer, who, after the unexpected death of her father, inherits his camera and discovers old photographs he took of his former queer lover. At the same time as she discovers her father’s queerness, however, Summer herself is nursing a massive crush on her classmate, the star of the girl’s soccer team. As Summer discovers more about the part of her father’s life she never knew, we see increasingly powerful traces of him in her own life—and herself.
Shot with a soft focus and mellow coloring, this does not look like a movie about grief. There is not much devastation, beating of chests, etc., to enunciate the film’s undertones of loss. There is no hollow, empty feeling either; instead, those themes are communicated in brightness and fullness, distant but present like a half-recalled dream. Sung has managed to capture a vision of grief and self-discovery that is composed of youth, joy, and memory. In internet lingo: The vibes are immaculate.
Lead actress Sia Kim’s performance is refreshing. Summer’s charm comes from her naivete being perfectly balanced with her practicality, and Kim is excellent at conveying both. Without her performance, the movie could have easily become tedious, but her consistent earnestness makes Summer all the more easy to empathize with.
Sung’s touch is tender and precise, yet effortless, as if she had decades of experience under her belt. The film itself has a distinct air and presence to it that only adds to its appeal. The recurring motif of freezing time is beautifully written and executed, and stands as further testament to Sung’s skill as a screenwriter and filmmaker. She has endless promise in the field and I hope to see more from her in the future. With aptly pristine camerawork, Summer’s Camera is also one of the prettiest movies I have ever seen. I got the feeling that I could watch Summer’s life for hours without event. Sung has created an irresistible world with no massive, earth-shattering events or overplayed dramatics. In Summer’s world, the simple act of living, learning, and loving is monumental.
I think that this film is one that will leave its impact on me for many years. I have found that low-key filmmaking like this is difficult to make remarkably, and it is not very often that it can hit so hard whilst landing so softly. And yet: intricate in its simplicity, and meaningful without over-explanation, Summer’s Camera is an enchanting story of love in grief, queerness, and self-discovery.