Summer Drift
(Virages)
It’s summertime in Geneva. By day, Johanna works meticulously assembling luxury watches. After hours, she dreams of bringing her old Volkswagen Beetle back to life and returning to the stockcar races that she formerly frequented. One day, she finally resolves to confront the transphobia in the car community and get her VW bug back on the track.
Set against the backdrop of the city’s river banks, garages, and junkyards and shot on 16mm film, Summer Drift unfolds like a relaxed ride on a raft floating down the river. In this unique hybrid of narrative fiction and documentary, the quirky deadpan protagonist Johanna Schopfer portrays a version of herself, surrounded by an equally likeable group of allies, including her lively Italian best friend Rocco and local comic shop owner Leticia, who champions Johanna’s own comics. Charming, dryly witty, and a little wacky, Summer Drift is an amiable, low-key celebration of trans identity.
