Rays of Desire: Queer Time in Katie Found's 'My First Summer'

Presenting its lesbian love story as part erotic fantasy, part childlike reverie, Katie Found's debut feature allows its teenage protagonists' romance to flourish in secret outside the oppressive space of the outside world. As Louise Sheedy discusses, the film taps into notions of a specifically queer coming-of-age experience, one unbounded by heteronormative milestones and broader social conventions.

Additional keywords:
childhood, Jack Halberstam, coming of age, Bechdel test, Gender Matters, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, AIDS