Bright Lights Cinema Series: ‘You Were My First Boyfriend’

Directed by Cecilia Aldarondo and Sarah Enid Hagey (documentary). In this high school reunion movie turned inside out, Aldarondo embarks on a fantastical quest to reconcile her tortured teen years. She ‘goes back’ in more ways than one, tracking down old foes and friends while also reenacting visceral memories of youthful humiliation and desire.

Oscillating between present and past, hallucination and reality, You Were My First Boyfriend is a hybrid documentary that explores the power of adolescent fantasy, the subtle violence of cultural assimilation, and the fun house mirror of time’s passage. Discussion with co-director Hagey and producer Ines Hofmann Kanna, MA ‘96 to follow. GD, POC, SJ, EC [CC]