Melissa’s Review: ‘I Believe In Unicorns’ beautifully/terrifyingly captures the innocent foolish decisions of a teenage girl’s first love

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Davina (Natalia Dyer) is teetering between childhood and adulthood as she meets and falls in love with an older boy (Peter Vack). The two run away together, but her imaginative and free-spirited nature only goes so far before reality catches up.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still02This incredibly intimate story is writer/director Leah Meyerhoff’s first feature film and revolves around a “fictionalized version of her younger self.” Davina takes care of her mother (the director’s mother, Toni Meyeroff), and is artistic and imaginative. She has a best friend, Cassidy (Julia Garner, from the Tribeca film Grandma), but when she sees Sterling, she’s smitten.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still06As we follow Davina, Meyeroff uses stop motion to animate her lucid dream sequences. These sequences serve as a window into her mind as she can’t quite process what’s happening in real life. The real world backdrop, often without any score, allows you to take in the what’s happening without a filter.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still05Davina tries out Sterling’s world and gets lost. She doesn’t know how she’s supposed to be treated, or to act, and neither does he. The two of them learn as they go, discovering what makes each feel good as well as what really upsets them. Their short romance goes from bliss to utter disaster back to bliss in the blink of an eye. This is what someone means when they describe a relationship as, “we were too young.”

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still09Good and bad, every experience shapes us. Davina may have lost her innocence, but she’s gained knowledge that she’ll carry with her forever. I look forward to Meyeroff’s next feature, as she has a very powerful voice.

Starts today at the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue at West 3rd Street, New York, NY. Available on Vimeo June 1st.

This exploration of the emotional, complex landscape of troubled young love centers on Davina, an imaginative, strong-willed teenage girl with a beautifully twisted fantasy life. Having grown up quickly as the sole caretaker of her disabled mother, she looks for escape in a new relationship with an older boy. She’s quickly swept up into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, but Davina’s enchantment is shaken when her boyfriend’s volatile nature emerges. Official selection: SXSW Film Festival

Friday, May 29 at 8:20: The Making of I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS – Leah Meyerhoff (writer/director) and the UNICORNS cast and crew

Saturday, May 30 at 3:10: Editing for Performance – Michael Taylor (editor, UNICORNS), Natalia Dyer (actress, UNICORNS), Peter Vack (actor, UNICORNS)

Saturday, May 30 at 8:20: Coming of Age – Mary Harron (director, American Psycho), Eliza Hittman (director, It Felt Like Love), Caryn Waechter (director,The Sisterhood of Night), Natalia Dyer (actress, UNICORNS)

Sunday, May 31 at 3:10: DIY Techniques – Ryan Koo (founder, No Film School), Aly Migliori (post, UNICORNS), Joe Stillwater (sound, UNICORNS)

Sunday, May 31 at 8:20: Independent Visions – Adam Leon (director, Gimme the Loot), Deborah Kampmeier (director, Hounddog), Laurie Collyer (director,Sherrybaby), Rob Meyer (director, A Birder’s Guide to Everything)

Monday, June 1 at 8:20: Stop Motion Animation – Signe Baumane (director, Rocks in my Pockets), Leah Shore (director, Hallway), David Bell (director, The Sacred Engine)

Tuesday, June 2 at 8:20: Personal Narratives – Jonathan Caouette (director, Tarnation), Reed Morano (director, Meadowland), Ryan Piers Williams (director,X/Y), Kim Levin (director, Runoff), Petra Costa (director, Elena)

Wednesday, June 3 at 8:20: The Casting Process – Nicole Kassell (director, The Woodsman), Laurie Weltz (director, Scout), Sara Colangelo (director, Little Accidents), Anja Marquardt (director, She’s Lost Control)

Thursday, June 4 at 8:20: The Female Gaze – Bette Gordon (director, Variety), Alison Bagnall (director,Funny Bunny), Enid Zentelis (director, Evergreen), Gail Segal (professor, NYU), Terry Lawler (executive, NYWIFT)

I Believe in Unicorns – Trailer from Gravitas Ventures on Vimeo.

Trailer of the Day: SXSW 2013 Selection ‘I Believe In Unicorns’

From (L) to (R), Peter Vack and Natalia Dyer in I Believe in Unicorns

From (L) to (R), Peter Vack and Natalia Dyer in I Believe in Unicorns

OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 in New York at IFC CENTER with a national release to follow

Vimeo On Demand Exclusively nationwide on June 1, 2015.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2014, EDINBURGH FILM FESTIVAL 2014, GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER: ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL 2014, BEST ORIGINAL SONG: NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL 2014

Stay tuned for Melissa’s review!

Davina (Natalia Dyer) is an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl who often escapes into a beautifully twisted fantasy life. Having grown up quickly as the sole caretaker of her disabled mother (The filmmaker’s mother Toni Meyerhoff), she looks for salvation in a new relationship with an older boy (Peter Vack). Davina is swept into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, but the enchantment of her new relationship quickly fades when Sterling’s volatile side begins to emerge. I Believe in Unicorns takes us on a road trip through the stunning and complex landscape of troubled young love.

From Student Academy Award nominated director Leah Meyerhoff (Twitch), Oscar nominated producer Heather Rae (Frozen River), and Emmy Award winning executive producer Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), I Believe In Unicorns stars emerging talents Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack (Mozart in the Jungle), Julia Garner (Electrick Children), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) and the director’s mother Toni Meyerhoff.

I Believe in Unicorns premiered in competition at SXSW, won the Grand Jury Prize in Atlanta and additional awards from Nashville, Woodstock, Anchorage, First Time Fest and San Francisco Film Society. It is supported by Tribeca All Access, US in Progress, Film Society of Lincoln Center, IFP Emerging Narrative Labs and the IFP Finishing Labs. I Believe in Unicorns was recently nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award and received a Directing Award from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation.

Leah Meyerhoff is also the founder of Film Fatales, a female filmmaker collective based in New York with chapters around the world. She is a graduate of Brown University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

I Believe in Unicorns – Trailer from Gravitas Ventures on Vimeo.