Synopsis
A powerful and timely debut from Lukas Dhont, this Caméra d’Or- and Queer Palm-winner charts the frustrations of 15-year-old transgender girl Lara, who harbours a single-minded ambition to become a prima ballerina. As she grapples with the pain of transitioning, and adolescent turmoil, the hard discipline of ballet pushes the pliability of her body to precarious limits.
Dhont and virtuoso Dutch cinematographer Frank van den Eeden interweave camera and narrative seamlessly, choreographing Lara’s visceral joys and pain in impressionistic bursts of movement, to an uncompromising score. At the center of the frame is revelatory lead Victor Polster, whose breakout bravado performance echoes Hilary Swank’s in Boys Don’t Cry (1999), and garnered Best Performance in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. Girl sets itself apart with a wilful proclamation of agency and honest excavation of teenage transgender anxieties.