Second grader Sylvie navigates the absurdities and emotional turbulence of her eccentric multigenerational matriarchy, a dad who lives far away and life gone virtual, seen through the lens of Sasha Levinson, her filmmaker, single mom. As Sylvie struggles through virtual school, expresses her strong wish for a baby sister or at least a dog, and interacts with a mom who never puts her camera down, Sasha finds new ways to connect with and raise Sylvie at a time when doing so may have been the most difficult. Sasha uses her film to paint a picture of how she was able to be there for her daughter, in the process seeing how much her daughter was there for her to bring light and happiness to her life when she needed it most. Sylvie of the Sunshine State is an intimate family portrait that captures the challenges and surprises of growing up in an upside-down world.

Directed by Sasha Levinson
Producers: Chris Brown, Jonathan Sanford, Sasha Levinson, Katie White
English
92 minutes
2022

Reviews:
 
" ..a document of a family attempting to manage the breaking of the world… The raw direct presentation of emotions and conversations are essential to discuss this period of time on a small scale.”  Benjamin Franz, Film Threat
 
“Excellent. A wonderful film, almost a meditation, told with the help of a child’s unique perspective. Revealing, touching…: Tim Cogshell of NPR’S Film Week