As the right-wing rage machine is again persecuting queer and trans people, award-winning nonbinary filmmaker Jen Markowitz demonstrates that one of the best salves is sunlight ― specifically, the sun that shines down on Camp fYrefly in rural Alberta, where queer kids can just be kids together “without any of the explanations,” as one camper puts it. Warm, funny, and made with clear cooperation from those in front of the lens, SUMMER QAMP cuts through the fear-mongering around queer and trans kids simply by spending time with them.
Removed from bullies and awkward family situations, the kids immediately blossom into their empathetic, confident, amazing selves, sharing nerdy obsessions and encouraging one another to do the things that scare them. Maybe it’s petting that horse; maybe it’s performing in the talent show; maybe it’s telling their parents they’re trans. In this moving doc, it’s wonderful to watch them figure it out.
— Norm Wilner