Sympathy in Summer


Sympathy in Summer is a 1971 film directed by Antony I. Ginnane when he was a 19-year-old university student. It was partly financed by Melbourne University Film Society and was heavily financed by the films of Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and Alain Resnais.

Premise

Lenny is a young womanising university student who is not as confident as he appears. He recalls his relationship with his girlfriend Anne and imagines Carlton as a Bohemian Paris.

Cast

  • Connie Simmons as Anne Benton
  • Vincent Griffith as Lenny Marshall
  • Tony Horler as the other man
  • Robin Wells as the perfect woman
  • Pam McAlister as Candy
  • John Caust
  • Marlene Schulenberg
  • Leon Boyle

Production

The film was shot in 1968 but not released until 1971 by which time Ginnane had established himself as a distributor. It only received a limited release.

Legacy

The film is markedly different in genre from the movies Ginnane would later make when he became a producer.
Footage from the movie appeared in the documentary Carlton + Godard = Cinema.