Princess Cyd (2017) was written and directed by Stephen Cone. Reviewers have described it as a coming-of-age movie, and that's what it is. However, that's only partly what it is.
Jessie Pinnick plays Cyd Loughlin, a young woman who is visiting her Aunt Miranda in Chicago for the summer. Cyd hasn't clarified her sexual identity, but, as far as we can tell, she's bisexual. As you'd expect, experiences during the summer help shape who Cyd is, and who she wants to be. OK--fair enough, but nothing truly unusual.
Rebecca Spence plays Cyd's Aunt Miranda. Spence gives a riveting performance as an adult who has come of age. She knows who she is, she knows what she is, and she knows where she wants to be. It would have been easy for director Cone to make Miranda a fussy aunt, or a drunken aunt, or a sexually promiscuous aunt. She's none of those. She likes her life, she loves Cyd, and she is a whole person in herself, not just in relationship to her niece. It's wonderful to see the skill with which Spence portrays this role.
Princess Cyd was shown at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, as the opening night selection of ImageOut, the great Rochester LGBT Film Festival. My prediction is that it will win the audience award as best narrative film. It was certainly my best narrative film. It will work well on the small screen. It's definitely worth seeking out and watching.
Jessie Pinnick plays Cyd Loughlin, a young woman who is visiting her Aunt Miranda in Chicago for the summer. Cyd hasn't clarified her sexual identity, but, as far as we can tell, she's bisexual. As you'd expect, experiences during the summer help shape who Cyd is, and who she wants to be. OK--fair enough, but nothing truly unusual.
Rebecca Spence plays Cyd's Aunt Miranda. Spence gives a riveting performance as an adult who has come of age. She knows who she is, she knows what she is, and she knows where she wants to be. It would have been easy for director Cone to make Miranda a fussy aunt, or a drunken aunt, or a sexually promiscuous aunt. She's none of those. She likes her life, she loves Cyd, and she is a whole person in herself, not just in relationship to her niece. It's wonderful to see the skill with which Spence portrays this role.
Princess Cyd was shown at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, as the opening night selection of ImageOut, the great Rochester LGBT Film Festival. My prediction is that it will win the audience award as best narrative film. It was certainly my best narrative film. It will work well on the small screen. It's definitely worth seeking out and watching.