Reflective Encounters

“Céline and Julie will be on the minds of many a Rivette fan as the leads in Aleksi Delikouras’ nattering comedy take their dinghy to the water. Two sisters Jade (Anna Airola) and Kaisa (Oona Airola) trade barbs and ideological insight on one fine Finnish day. One is a social media influencer, the other a technology sceptic. But the lush countryside and lake is no escape - even after Jade buries her phone in the sand, they cannot help themselves but to bicker about YouTube videos and social media followers. How then, are they equipped for the natural world?

Delikouras mocks his characters without condescending to them. We laugh with them just as much as we laugh at them. They discuss the performative aspects of taking good or purposely bad photos for their feed, showing more self-awareness than influencer characters are often afforded on-screen. With bright cinematography, Two Girls and a Boat conjures the look of our phone screens, with huey pastels shaping the costumes and colourful props around Jade and Kaisa. Meanwhile, Delikouras questions the modern utility of the natural landscape. What, exactly, do we want to reconnect with: nature, or our followers?”

— Ben Flanagan