There’s a lot going on in Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter’s hybrid film Summer Drift (Virages) which, on a basic level, charts protagonist Johanna Schopfer’s summer in Geneva as she works, enjoys the summer sunshine and considers getting rid of her old VW Beetle, eventually deciding to bring it back to life and drive present it on a motor enthusiast track day.
But there is more to this gently evocative and revealing documentary – described as an ‘autofiction,’ given how it had to be shot over several years to account for Schopfer’s real-life work schedule and availability – than first appears.
The doc, which premiered in Cannes ACID, provides a nuanced appraisal of LGBTQ+ and trans themes within a visually alluring 16mm aesthetic, all of which helps to deliver a gentle charmer of a film.
Summer Drift opens with Johanna on her scooter heading to work, where she is a technician on an assembly line within a luxury watch factory. Heavy metal on her headphones helps her avoid conversations with fellow workers. As summer hits the city, some head off on holiday, but she stays in the city and has lakeside fun with friends.
Johanna considers getting rid of her old VW Beetle, but after being told she would get no money for it, and it would most likely be crushed, she decides to restore it. In so doing she also sets about rebuilding her sense of worth and positivity that was damaged by abusive petrolheads after she transitioned.
She speaks on the phone with her wife Vivi (whom she has been with for 14 years) who is away visiting family in Mexico, but when asked about her husband on the assembly line she describes ‘him’ as a tall Mexican with a moustache.
The revelation that Johanna is transgender comes subtly about 20 minutes into the film via a flashback to a car show, told through the filter of one of Joanna’s own comics which details others’ her objectification of her, and an assault. A friend wants to compile her comics into a book, but Johanna wants to avoid this, and instead focuses on rebuilding her VW Beetle.
While the film gently dips into various aspects of her life – from meeting with friends, a narrative about her comic book art, and a cosplay (costume-play) moment when she goes to an outdoor screening of one of her favourite films, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior – it eventually settles into watching her rebuild the VW, interacting with the large community of Volkswagen enthusiasts, buying spare parts in a bid to get the engine running again, and even having a custom-made spoiler built to help give the car a real sense of personality.
Attending the VW rally and taking her car on the circuit marks the end of a journey…or perhaps simply the end of an important chapter, with Johanna overcoming hurdles with gentle determination. The filmmakers even allow themselves a little indulgence as she finds a moment to dance to Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’.
As she takes again to the summer waters of the city Johanna appears relaxed and confident…
Switzerland-France, 2026, 89mins
Dirs/scr: Céline Carridroit, Aline Suter
Production: Cavale Films, Alter Ego Production
International sales: MoreThan Films
Producers: Aurélien Marsais, Cécile Lestrade, Elise Hug
Cinematography: Victor Zébo, Aurore ToulonEditor: Karen Benainous
With: Johanna Schopfer
