Teenager Ayanna (Zora Howard) is making the most out of her last summer in Harlem before heading to an out of state college. She’s not really looking for love—until she meets the handsome twentysomething musician Isaiah (Joshua Boone). After falling for him, Ayanna finds herself torn between her own vulnerability and self-sufficiency. As the story progresses, we understand her desire, heartbreak, and despair though poetry that she writes to express how she feels.
Photo Courtesy of IFC FILMS
Director Green beautifully captures youthful inhibition through Ayanna’s world in flux: outbursts at home with her mother, deep and intimate encounters with Isaiah, and moments of unfiltered honesty with her girlfriends. The result is a bold portrait of a young woman at a crossroads, anchored by a phenomenal performance by Howard, who unforgettably inhabits Ayanna through her complex, achingly human journey of self-discovery.
The powerful, coming-of-age film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and recently received two Film Independent Spirit Award nominations. IFC Films will release the film on Friday, February 21 in NY, LA and select cities and on VOD platforms.
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