Shapes of Love

Peñalba spotlights the complexities of public perception and identity in a thoughtful debut that centers an aromantic and asexual teenage pop star navigating fame, friendship, and firsts. To the world, Los Angeles native Sasha, 19, is Sassy, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose chart-topping ballads of love and heartbreak invite endless speculation into who inspires her music. She keeps her aroace identity a secret from everyone except her inner circle, as it directly conflicts with the hopeless romantic image her label eagerly markets. As pressure from her calculating manager mounts, Sasha is pushed toward a carefully curated narrative, including a publicity-friendly rekindling with fellow creative Kai, a once close confidant and Sasha’s first romantic partner. Meanwhile, distance strains her bond with her best friend Mia, now away at college in New York, and the arrival of actor Asher, scion of a high-profile acting dynasty, further complicates Sasha’s already tangled emotional landscape. Peñalba deftly interrogates the assumptions audiences place on artists, and explores the dissonance between reputation and authenticity. Balancing universal challenges of emerging adulthood with the rarified pressures of celebrity, it’s a nuanced, affirming portrayal of aroace identity and the many forms love and partnership can take. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 13–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. (May)