Fairyland

This heartfelt Sofia Coppola–produced drama explores the intricacies of a father–daughter bond blossoming amid queer liberation and the AIDS crisis.

After the sudden death of his wife, Steve and his two-year-old daughter Alysia decamp to the glimmering, gay bohemia of the Haight-Ashbury district in the 70s. What follows is a twin coming of age. Alysia grows up into a rebellious teenager, disgruntled with the world and her preoccupied father. Steve, meanwhile, enmeshes himself in the city’s queer counterculture, gathering boyfriends and writing poetry. When AIDS begins to surface in San Francisco, their ever-shifting relationship is turned on its head.

Adapted from Alysia Abbott’s 2013 memoir by first-time Australian writer/director Andrew Durham, Fairyland is a searing portrait of family ties and hard-won freedom. Durham and cinematographer Greta Zozula’s elegant and dreamy lens – the film is partially shot on 16mm – is matched by powerfully understated, vulnerable performances from Scoot McNairy (Monsters, MIFF 2010; True Detective; Halt) and Emilia Jones (CODA, MIFF 2021), who expertly portray the knots of resentment and compassion. Further buoying this poignant film is its exquisite ensemble cast, which includes Geena Davis, Adam Lambert, Maria Bakalova (Bodies Bodies Bodies, MIFF 2022) and Australian actor Cody Fern (American Horror Story).

“At its most thoughtful, Fairyland conveys a dual sense of loss – spanning personal loves and lovers, and whole historical moments and communities – in small, sweet gestures.” – Variety