Former Finnish actress Kirsi Marie Liimatainen goes behind the camera to direct this sun-glossed tale, set during the radiant last days of summer, about a young girl’s crush on her best girlfriend. Capturing those indelible moments in young adulthood when one realizes that “I love you” means different things to different people, Sonja lays bare all the uncertainty, fear, and beauty of coming of age. Sonja lives in a boring suburban town where she will spend her summer avoiding ex-boyfriend Anton, who wants her back, and rolling her eyes at her prying mother, who wants to know everything (ugh!). Her only joy comes from her friend Julia, a radiant beauty who tools around town on her scooter. Talking about sex, confiding in one another, and going to dances, Sonja and Julia feel like they will be best friends forever. But, as she looks in Julia’s eyes and caresses her back with her fingertips, Sonja begins to feel there’s something more, something that can’t be expressed. A trip to her father’s home in the Baltics ultimately leads to consequences that will reverberate well past the summer. Director Liimatainen surrounds her two vibrant protagonists with the glow and radiance of the season’s sun-kissed dusks, long days and warm summer nights. While most coming-of-age tales revolve around the sex lives of boys, Sonja brings to life those late days of girlhood when everything is fragile, unique, and as heartbreaking as any of life’s experiences.
