Character Relationship Map: This One Summer

Characters

• Dune (played by Rose Pou Pellicer) — protagonist

  The narrative protagonist, Dune returns to Seignosse with her family and senses that her parents are concealing serious relationship problems. She observes the adults' behavior, becomes increasingly t...

• Mathilde (played by Juliette Havelange) — supporting

  Dune's younger family member who travels with the family to Seignosse. Sarah asks Mathilde to prepare drinks during the holiday gathering.

• Sarah (played by Marina Foïs) — supporting

  An adult in the holiday group who asks Mathilde to prepare drinks during a family gathering.

• Pépé (played by Ángela Molina) — supporting

  A member of the holiday group who becomes the center of a playful family performance.

• Margaux (played by Adèle Wismes) — supporting

  A distressed young woman whose pregnancy becomes a major source of conflict. She is crying and behaving erratically, while the adults debate whether she will have an abortion and others discuss her re...

• Elliot (played by Hugo Fernandes) — supporting

  A young man accused of being the father of Margaux's baby. He avoids her calls and refuses to take responsibility, prompting Dune to tell him that he should speak with Margaux despite the uncertainty...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Margaux → Elliot (Romantic Alleged Partner) — Their relationship involves an alleged pregnancy, disputed responsibility, and emotional avoidance.

  Margaux is reported to be pregnant, and Elliot is accused of being the father. Elliot avoids her calls and refuses to take responsibility.

• Sarah → Mathilde (Power Task Giver) — Sarah directs Mathilde to perform a practical task.

  Sarah asks Mathilde to prepare drinks during the holiday gathering.

• Dune → Mathilde (Family Member) — Dune and Mathilde belong to the same traveling family group.

  Dune travels to Seignosse with her parents and the younger family member Mathilde.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Dune → Elliot (Conflict Moral Challenger) — Dune directly challenges Elliot's avoidance and demands that he confront the situation.

  Dune tells Elliot that Margaux may be cheating on him or may have been raped, insisting that he speak with her.

• Dune → Margaux (Social Concerned Acquaintance) — Dune responds to Margaux's crisis with concern and attempts to encourage communication.

  Dune discusses Margaux's situation with Elliot and insists that he should speak with Margaux.

• Mathilde → Pépé (Social Family Gathering Companion) — Mathilde and Pépé are connected through the shared family gathering.

  Mathilde is part of the family holiday in which Pépé becomes the center of a playful performance.

• Dune → Pépé (Social Family Gathering Companion) — Dune and Pépé participate in the same family spectacle.

  Dune observes Pépé becoming the center of a playful family performance during the holiday.

• Dune → Sarah (Social Holiday Companion) — Dune and Sarah share the same strained holiday environment.

  Dune is present with Sarah during the family holiday, where Sarah asks Mathilde to prepare drinks.

Story Analysis

Dune's return to a familiar holiday exposes concealed family instability, adult hypocrisy, sexual uncertainty, and an increasingly painful awareness of mortality.

Plot Progression

1. A Familiar Place Feels Wrong — Dune returns to Seignosse after two years away and notices tension beneath the family's ordinary behavior. The journey and arrival establish a holiday atmosphere that feels increasingly artificial.
2. Happiness Performed for Everyone — The holiday crowd recreates familiar rituals while adults discuss intimacy, loneliness, and death. Dune senses that the adults are forcing cheerfulness onto the children.
3. Margaux's Unanswered Crisis — News of Margaux's pregnancy disrupts the holiday, and Elliot is accused of being the father. Margaux's distress grows while Elliot avoids her and the adults argue about abortion.
4. Mortality Enters the Games — Stories of suicide, accidental death, illness, and possible infant loss reshape Dune's understanding of the adults' world. Holiday games and jokes continue despite Margaux's suffering.
5. The Wish to Leave — Dune confronts Elliot about speaking with Margaux, then learns that the expected America plan has not happened. After a dangerous late-night accident, she rejects swimming and asks to go home.