Title: Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Ayden Mayeri
Starring: Ayden Mayeri, Jessica Hall, Janet Kariuki
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

What It Is: It’s the year 2000. A group of preteen girls decide to record an album. A weird avant-garde pop album that at the time was really just a fun time between friends. Now over two decades later, because of a strange bit of traffic from an online music forum, the record is resurfacing and with it those tweens are now full grown women, with jobs and families. Now they find themselves on the other end of a re-issue and subsequent support, but what have they been up to in these two plus decades? That’s where this film takes off.

What We Think: Such a weird concept to start. I think Ayden Mayeri does an excellent job here. She somehow manages to get each and every girl back here to join her. The craziest thing about all of this is that the music itself isn’t great. It feels like a record made by junior high school tweens. It’s all the more interesting to see a contemporary, chronically online generation finding interest in this to the extent they have and are. One thing I can say is that I’m glad it happened and is happening. All of the women seem super down to earth, and it couldn’t have happened to a more fitting group.

Our Grade: B+, Documentaries are hard. Making your debut a feature length documentary might actually be an insane thing to do. Thankfully Mayeri was up to the task. Her pacing is so surprisingly on point. She should do more directing. She has a knack for storytelling. It could simply be that this, being a personal story, was easier to tell. I don’t believe that though. Ayden Mayeri, show me something else and soon please. I really had a great time going back in time to a simpler time. Whenever it comes out I’d certainly recommend this.