The Story

director’s statement

I was drawn to this story because it reminded me of something I have carried quietly for a long time: the tax of girlhood. The awkwardness of trying to make a friend. The heartbreak of losing one. Lexi and Dawn’s friendship does not begin with instant connection. It begins with proximity. That felt true for me. Many of my own friendships started simply because we shared space for a long time—school, summer camp, the neighborhood. From there, something tender began to grow. What I wanted to capture in this film is that fragile space in between. The clumsy beginnings of friendship, the uncertainty of how to belong to each other, and the ache when it all unravels. When Carolyn first shared this story with Tiajha and me, it felt like she had put words to a feeling I did not know how to name, but had lived through deeply. I have always wondered why movies and media make so much room for romantic love and breakups, yet rarely for the stories of friendship, especially the ones that end. For me, those losses have been some of the most devastating. They have shaped me just as much as love stories. This film is my way of honoring that truth.

writer’s statement

When I was in eighth grade, I met, befriended, and grew apart from my middle school bestie, all within the span of a few months. At the age of thirteen, feelings are BIG. And the end of a friendship, even a short-lived one, can feel devastating.
Fast forward to 2018, when Tiajha, Genevieve and I discussed our long lost middle school besties over post-work cocktails. While barring the souls of our younger selves, we discovered that we didn’t really have the words to describe this seemingly universal experience. Are “breakups” just for romantic relationships? And if so, how come these friendship breakups hurt so much? The Summer of Lexi & Dawn became our answer — our attempt at defining this rite of passage that many face on their path to adulthood.
As young women, we’re often told to rein in our emotions. “Don’t be so dramatic,” is a phrase frequently thrown around when you’re in middle school. The Summer of Lexi & Dawn is ultimately our long overdue comeback, meant to validate these feelings and honor these heartbreaks. They happened, we felt them, they hurt us and they shaped us, all at once.