Summer 1993 (Catalan: Estiu 1993) is a 2017 Catalan-language Spanish drama film directed and written by Carla Simón.

[4] The movie centers around a six year old girl named Frida who is sent to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin during the summer of 1993.

Frida moves to the Catalan countryside with her aunt Marga (Bruna Cusí), her uncle Esteve (David Verdaguer), and their three year old daughter, Anna (Paula Robles).

The movie takes place during the summer of 1993 as Frida adapts to her new life in the country and her role as older sister to her cousin.

[8] At first, Frida has difficulties adjusting, as the environment she is surrounded by in the countryside is vastly different from that which she knew in the city.

However, as the film progresses, Frida begins to integrate with her new family and enjoy spending time with them at the pool and at home, where she is seen dancing with her adoptive father.

The film concludes at the end of the summer, when Frida finally begins to express her true emotions in the presence of her new family.

[9] The film opens with several scenes depicting Frida's move from Barcelona to her new home in the countryside with her adoptive parents (her aunt Marga and uncle Esteve).

Shortly after her arrival at her new home, Frida finds a statue of the Virgin Mary in a dirt recess in the woods.

Throughout the film, Frida returns to this spot several times, leaving cigarettes and a polka dotted garment with the statue as a gift to her mother.

Frida puts on eyeshadow and lipstick on her cheeks and wears a fur boa as Anna watches.

Back home, Marga cleans the wound with heavy duty gloves, and tells Anna to stay away until she's finished.

In the next sequence, Frida refuses the gift of a blue nightdress from her grandmother because she wanted a pink one like the one that Anna gets.

In the next scene, which occurs at night, Frida packs up her dolls and other toys, attempts to tie her shoes, and takes fruit from the kitchen.

In one of the final scenes, Marga helps Frida prepare her math book for school.

La Revista del Cine Español, Simón explains that she was inspired to make the film by her own experiences as a child.

[12] Simón explains that the movie has helped her to come to terms with her past, and she hopes that the same may be true for audience members who watch the film.

[13] In an interview with Inside Cinema, Simón explains that many of the scenes in the film were based on pictures of her childhood.

Certain set locations were also based on Simón's childhood home, such as the pool bar and the forest.

[12] In an interview with Variety, Simón explains that she wanted to follow the spontaneity of the young actors with her filming, opting for longer shots whenever possible.

Summer 1993 was written and directed by Carla Simón and edited by Ana Pfaff and Dídac Palou.

The website's critical consensus states: "Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993) finds writer-director Carla Simón drawing on personal memories to create a thoughtful drama elevated by outstanding work from its young leads.

[18] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Surrounding the deaths, Henderson highlights, is a deep feeling of shame for the characters who are old enough to understand the implications.

[20] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gives Summer 1993 five stars, titling his review "stunning drama of a childhood ripped apart."

Bradshaw calls the film "subtle" and "rich" and praises Simón's ability to create meaning through the numerous scenes of Frida and Anna playing.

He also notes the strength of the performances of Laia Artigas (Frida) and Paula Robles (Anna), explaining that acting at that age is different from what it is as an adult.

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times notes the emotions that are communicated through the film, culminating in what she describes as "gentle catharsis.