''A Summer Dress'' (french: Une robe d'été) is a 1996

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

directed by François Ozon about a flagging gay relationship that is refueled in an unexpected way.

Plot

Luc ( Frédéric Mangenot) spends his holiday by the sea with his slightly older and decidedly more effeminate boyfriend, Sébastien (

Sébastien Charles Sébastien is a common French given name. It is a French form of pasté Latin name ''Sebastianus'' meaning "from Sebaste". Sebaste was a common placename in classical Antiquity, derived from the Greek word ''σεβαστος'', or ''sebastos'', ...

). At the house they have rented, Sébastien's flamboyant dancing and preening frustrates Luc, who rebukes him that the neighbors might see. Irritated, Luc goes off on his bicycle to the beach, hoping to find some solitude. On the beach, Luc is finally alone and goes

skinny dipping Nude swimming is the practice of swimming without clothing, whether in natural bodies of water or in swimming pools. A colloquial term for nude swimming is ''skinny-dipping''. In both British and American English, to swim means "to move through ...

. Afterwards, he sunbathes in the nude and meets Lucia (

Lucia Sanchez Lucía Sánchez (1969) is a Spanish-born French actress. She started her acting career in 1996 with '' Une robe d'été'' ''(A Summer Dress)'' directed by François Ozon. She starred in ' directed by Yves Caumon with Bernard Blancan, ' directed ...

), a Spanish tourist about his age, who, after some flirtatious conversation, invites Luc to accompany her into the nearby wood for a tryst. Luc, though somewhat bashful, obliges with little hesitation. After having sex, Lucia learns that Luc is erotically involved with Sébastien and has never been with a woman before. The two return to the beach to find that Luc's clothes have been stolen. Lucia lends Luc her summer dress so that he won't have to return home completely naked. Wearing a woman's dress improves Luc's mood as a car honks its horn after him on the ride back. He returns to the cabin with a smile and a renewed sense of freedom. Luc surprises Sébastien when he comes in. After a few amused remarks about the dress (Luc flirtatiously refers to himself as a "beautiful girl"), the two have passionate sex in the kitchen. The dress is partially torn in the act. The next day, Luc mends the summer dress and brings it back to Lucia, who is just leaving. However, she refuses to accept it, coyly suggesting that it may come in handy in the future. She kisses Luc goodbye. The final frame shows Luc watching her leave, the dress wrapped around his neck and fluttering in the sea breeze.

Reception

The film won awards at the

Brest European Short Film Festival The Brest European Short Film Festival ( French: Festival européen du film court de Brest) is a film festival dedicated to short films, happening every year in Brest, in the Brittany region in France. It has been organized by the Côte Ouest As ...

and the

L.A. Outfest Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...

. Thibault Shilt of

Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...

has cited the film as an example of a trend in recent French cinema of presenting sexual fluidity in "new, innovative ways."

References

External links

* * 1996 films Cross-dressing in film Gay-related films Films about infidelity Films directed by François Ozon French LGBT-related films French short films LGBT-related short films Male bisexuality in film Films about dresses 1990s French films {{1990s-France-film-stub