Fantasien zur Nacht (Film): Spring Summer

Spring Summer
John Lindquist Directs a Tale of Two Models on the Amalfi Coast

“It’s a reflection on the time I’ve spent as a fashion photographer, noticing how models have to deal with ageing and loss of beauty,” says the British photographer and director John Lindquist, whose debut narrative short stars Belgian beauty Delfine Bafort alongside Texan model-of-the-moment, Ashley Smith: “Ashley’s got the lightness and the beauty, where Delfine brings something more deep, from innocent to experienced.” Spring Summer captures the troubled leads at crucial points in their respective careers, each exploring and reassessing their identities. Set in and around the luxurious Le Sirenuse Hotel, in the village of Positano on Italy’s Almalfi coast, the location is reflected in the film’s changing and dramatic moods. “I always wanted it to look natural,” says Lindquist. “When we got there and had to endure five days of thunderstorms, it seemed appropriate to just go with it. It was really beautiful shooting in five days of rain.” The Central St. Martins alumni has collaborated with cult English singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf, and for his last film created the raw, experimental short, Cry For Me—but today’s film is his first narrative project. “For a while you’re carefree and going with the flow but then you have to make a choice about the direction you want to take,” he explains. “And that was the starting point for the story: a small moment of realization.”