‘Summer 1993’: a beautiful tale of an orphan finding a home

The languid yet lovely “Summer 1993,” about an orphaned girl who must adapt to a new family, explores tricky territory that few films attempt: how a child deals with grief.

If the material sounds glum, it’s not. Though melancholic undercurrents can be felt in every frame, this is a personal and authentic story about resilience, and it’s heartwarming to see a new family evolve before our very eyes.

Director Carla Simon’s autobiographical, never sentimental tale begins in Barcelona, where 6-year-old Frida (Laia Artigas, breathtaking) is quietly watching her relatives pack the belongings of her mother, who has recently died. No one tells Frida much, but she knows her life has changed forever.