“Summer Hit” is a 2019 short film written and directed by Berthold Wahjudi. It follows two foreign exchange students, Laia from Spain (played by Martina Roura) and Emil from Iceland (played by Atli Benedikt)
who are both on a semester abroad in Munich. The film begins immediately after the couple has just had sex and navigates the complexities of a modern-day relationship. It’s a refreshing place to start a film as it avoids any cliched, drawn-out setup for a
conventional love story but comes across as a more contemporary love story that reflects the current generation, where often, sex is a starting point rather than the culmination of the dating process. This is at the heart of what the film explores. After the couple has had sex a couple of times, Laia is scared off by Emil’s declaration of love. The hasty withdrawal is often a signal for when a relationship has ended. However, fate intervenes— as Laia leaves her wallet behind at Emils, which becomes the catalyst to bring the young lovers together again. But now, the two must figure out whether they are more than just a summer fling.
Throughout the film, the wallet serves as a loose framework for Emil and Laia’s continual dance of drifting apart and coming together. Laia is portrayed as the more liberated partner who prefers to keep things casual, whereas Emil is more straightforward about his growing feelings. The wallet symbolizes this push-pull dynamic between them,
sometimes used manipulatively, but also serves as an unspoken agreement between them to keep their connection alive. Both Laia and Emil are uncomfortable expressing this sentiment in words, but withholding the wallet communicates this tacit understanding. Just when we feel the film comes full circle, in what is a really nice touch at the end, it appears that the whole process can be prolonged even longer.
Summer Hit from Berthold Wahjudi on Vimeo.
The Other Cinema 