Filmmaker premieres ‘Love In Youth’
It’s hard not to be nostalgic and wounded by the first love of youth. Local filmmaker Quincy Perkins drew from that familiar and shared experience with his latest movie, “Love In Youth,” set and filmed in Key West. Perkins wrote the screenplay years ago but just in the last eight months shot and edited it in preparation for the Telluride Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. “Love in Youth” is a story about two kids in their late teens on the cusp of adulthood and navigating the uneasy waters of first love. The film is both reminiscent of the excitement of young love but also the pain of its disappointment, as the characters Heather, played by Heather Devoe, and Eric, played by Ricardo Montero, begin a relationship and utterly fail to keep it.
Perkins’ genius was using two Key West high schoolers, Devoe and Montero, both 17, who had never acted before and barely knew one another having shared just one class at Key West High. Their innocence and naiveté is so honest and blatant, it falls naturally from the screen enhancing the notion of their first love.
“This was something I wanted to tell,” said Perkins, who admitted it was based on his own experiences. “It’s about teen love, it’s messy and really about the power struggle of the relationship.” The majority of the movie is focused on Heather and her crush on Eric as she continually attempts to define their relationship. The screen is in love with Devoe, as she is captivating portraying the innocence and guardedness of young girls. Meanwhile, Eric exemplifies the stereotyped guy, noncommittal and deceitful. Heather threatens Eric to be more honest, a common theme in any relationship, young or old. Montero, who plays Eric, said, “My character was difficult. He’s not like me, I’m fun and outgoing.”
Perkins’s private showing took place last Monday at the Key West Theater to a packed house of proud local extras, parents and sponsors. More than 50 businesses helped to put the film together, including producers Commissioner Sam Kaufman and his wife, Julia.
“Quincy is an extremely talented young artist and Julia and I did not hesitate upon learning of the opportunity to work with him,” said Sam Kaufman.
With regard to filming and premiering in Key West, “This will always be home, so who cares about Sundance,” joked Perkins. His short film “Swingers Anonymous” was accepted to the Cannes Film Festival in 2015.
People on the island are affected by the tides. They are happy or sad depending on if the tide is high or low.” – Heather, played by Heather Devoe “Love In Youth”
