Aftersun is, at its core, a stream of memories—a fragmented, tender, and haunting journey housed in Sophie’s mind. The film presents a life lesson about how, as children, we rarely see our parents as individuals with dreams, personalities, and struggles of their own. Only when we grow up can we begin to empathize with them, piecing together the behaviors we couldn’t comprehend during childhood. While Aftersun portrays the weight of childhood awareness, where kids become acutely conscious of their parents’ financial struggles, there’s an even darker side: the hidden mental battles parents endure.
Calum’s Perspective: Hints of an Internal Struggle
Calum, Sophie’s father, exhibits behavior that feels strange at first because the film presents his story through Sophie’s eyes. The audience is left to infer his struggles with depression, as it is never explicitly mentioned. Instead, subtle hints are scattered throughout the film: moments like Calum standing on the balcony smoking and dancing in silence, staying up all night watching video recordings of Sophie, and seeming happiest only when removed from reality.
Small details, like his detached demeanor or cryptic comments, suggest an inner turmoil. For instance, his line, “I can’t see myself at 40. I’m surprised I made it to 30,” reveals his growing despair. The film masterfully conveys his carelessness toward life, crossing streets without hesitation, taking reckless risks like diving without a license, and making impulsive purchases like an expensive Turkish rug. His actions reflect a man teetering on the edge, indifferent to consequences because, to him, time is running out.
The poignant scene of Calum walking into the ocean encapsulates his mental state. Lost in his thoughts, the boundary between drowning in the sea and his emotions blurs. It’s an expression of how depression can erode the line between survival and surrender.
Sophie’s Journey: Coming of Age and Understanding
Sophie, caught between childhood and adolescence, yearns to experience and understand the world around her. Her perspective gives Aftersun a “coming-of-age” tone in certain moments, contrasting with the underlying sadness of Calum’s story. As an adult, Sophie begins to understand her father better, recognizing the signs of depression that once confused her. She recalls his “weird ninja moves,” which she now understands were meditation techniques to manage stress.
In a poignant moment, Sophie describes a feeling eerily similar to depression: “Don’t you ever feel like you’ve just had an amazing day, but then you come home and feel tired, down, like your bones don’t work, and you’re sinking?” Calum’s silent understanding of her words foreshadows her eventual realization that she shares his struggles.
The Distance Depression Creates
Depression’s isolating nature is vividly portrayed in the birthday scene, where Sophie gathers strangers to sing to her father. While others celebrate, Calum stands at a distance, physically and emotionally detached. Afterward, he sobs alone, conflicted by his inability to feel joy in such moments. The physical distance in the scene mirrors the emotional gap his depression creates, a separation he desperately wants to bridge but cannot.
The metaphor extends to the film’s visual language. The director deliberately frames this scene against a wall, symbolizing the absence of a future for Calum. Sophie’s mention of Cleopatra’s suicide earlier in the film subtly foreshadows his tragic fate.
Calum’s Role as a Father
Calum’s interactions with Sophie reveal his deep love and protective instincts. When he speaks positively about her future, he omits himself, telling her, “You can live wherever you want and be whoever you want to be. You have time.” These are words he likely needed to hear at her age, but they also reflect his resignation. For Calum, it’s too late to explore his dreams, but he clings to hope for Sophie’s future.
A powerful moment comes when Calum watches a father harshly scold his child. The scene suggests echoes of Calum’s own childhood, perhaps a glimpse into the trauma that shaped his depression and his determination to protect Sophie from a similar fate. This determination is evident when he teaches her self-defense, an act layered with unspoken history.
The Symbolism of Memory
Aftersun is a film about memories—their fragility, their permanence, and their power to shape our understanding. One key scene shows Sophie recording an interview with her father, asking what he thought he’d be doing as an adult. Calum answers only after Sophie stops recording, leaving part of the memory preserved on tape and part locked in her mind. This moment reflects the duality of memory: the tangible fragments we capture and the fleeting, unrecorded moments we hold onto.
Later, we see the Turkish rug Calum bought in Sophie’s adult home, symbolizing her connection to him. It’s her way of preserving his story, a tangible piece of a father who now exists only in her memories. The final moments of the film are especially poignant. Sophie and Calum’s last dance mirrors their shared in-betweenness: Sophie on the cusp of adolescence and Calum feeling his life nearing its end. The shift in color tones, warm and nostalgic in Sophie’s childhood memories and cold and detached in her adult recollections, emphasizes how her perception of her father evolves.
A Poetic Farewell: “This Is Our Last Dance”
The final act of Aftersun encapsulates the film’s themes of memory and loss. When Calum closes the camera, it symbolizes the end of their trip and, ultimately, his presence in Sophie’s life. By walking back into the disco—a space that represents Sophie’s mind—Calum transitions from a tangible figure in her reality to a cherished fragment of her memory.
Throughout the film, water serves as a recurring metaphor for Calum’s emotional state. He is often shown entering water, yet we never see him resurface, a haunting symbol of his internal struggles. Similarly, the Polaroid scene, where we hear their voices over a frozen image, illustrates the nature of memories: they preserve fleeting moments while holding echoes of conversations, laughter, and life beyond the captured frame.
Closing Thoughts
Aftersun is not just a story about a father and daughter; it’s a meditation on the weight of memories, the complexity of relationships, and the silent battles many carry. The film’s brilliance lies in its ability to capture the unspoken, the quiet moments that linger, shaping how we understand ourselves and those we love.
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Words by Fatima Fahd, Future Film Critic
