in particular.Â
Frank’s father is fighting during the war, while his mother is working in a government ministry.
The film is bookended by Alice (Penelope Wilton) writing the story 30 years later. Weâve previously met
Alice
, living alone while researching the myths and fables of the faerie tales of yore. Alice when younger thought herself to be in love with Vera (GuGu Mbatha-Raw). When Vera wanted a family, the couple went their separate ways.
The feature-film debut of writer/director Jessica Swale, âSummerlandâ is a sort of love story that doesnât involve romance. Most of all, it tells how Alice and Frank find themselves building and nourishing a friendship that neither wants initially. We know that her heart will eventually thaw when he shows interest in the legends and folklore at the center of her research, especially Summerland, the pagan term for afterlife, and the corresponding images.