Camden Festival Opens With 25-Year Portrait of Two Cousins
A portrait filmed over 25 years opened this year's Camden International Film Festival in mid-coast Maine.
The 22nd edition of the all-documentary festival reached its midway point on 19 September, with Alessandra Sanguinetti's The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer taking the Thursday-night opening slot, according to Deadline.
The film, known in Spanish as La ilusión de un verano sin fin, is the directorial debut for Sanguinetti, an Argentinian photographer with Magnum. It had bowed in August at the Locarno Film Festival before travelling to Camden, where the post-screening discussion was moderated by CIFF Senior Programmer Zaina Bseiso.
It follows cousins Guillermina “Guile” Aranciaga and Belinda “Beli” Stutz growing up in a farming area of the Argentinian Pampas. Sanguinetti began photographing the pair in 1999 and stayed with them into adulthood. The production was filmed over 25 years, according to an earlier Deadline lineup announcement.
Camden stacks its world premieres — meaning first-ever public screenings — across the middle of the festival. Friday brought two: Dependence by Grace Harper Brighouse, and Windows of Time by Hubert Taylor and Cyrus Moussavi.
Saturday added two more. Sierra Pettengill premiered Argonauts at the End of History. Nicole Costa premiered No Money No Honey. Both titles appear in the festival's official film guide published by the Points North Institute.
Alongside the new work, Camden drew established documentary makers. Alex Gibney brought Musk. Laura Poitras brought the short film They’re Here, co-directed with Rachel Lauren Mueller. Barbara Kopple arrived with Union Town, and Luke Lorentzen with Boatbuilders.
What makes this stand out is the mix. Camden is small and focused entirely on nonfiction, but it programmes world premieres next to films arriving with festival history. The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer, described as a Locarno winner, fits the second group.
The festival is listed by the Points North Institute as running from 17 to 20 September 2026. Points North, the organiser, describes Camden as a platform for nonfiction film and runs year-round artist fellowships and screenings from its base on the Maine coast.
