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Girl 15 rating

Lukas Dhont's breathtaking debut feature encompasses the heartache, courage, and punishing training of a ballerina transitioning in her teenage years.

Drama 2018 106 mins

Director: Lukas Dhont

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Overview

Lukas Dhont's breathtaking debut feature encompasses the heartache, courage, and punishing training of a ballerina transitioning in her teenage years. Winner of three prizes at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, including one for the extraordinary physical performance by teenage dancer Victor Polster as Lara, through whom we see the daily toil of the desperate desire to accelerate the sluggish process of transition.

Following critical acclaim and multiple awards at its Cannes premiere, a backlash against the film emerged. Some members of the trans community felt that the film’s body-focused portrayal of a dancer’s dysmorphia was voyeuristic to the point of offence. One trans voice largely left out of the vitriolic debate was Nora Monsecour’s, whose life story inspired the film. Heavily involved in the production and proud of the final result, she said, "My story is not a fantasy of the cis director. Lara’s story is my story… it has a message of courage, bravery and passion."

Director
Lukas Dhont
Featuring
Victor PolsterArieh WorthalterOliver BodartTijmen Govaerts
Genres
Drama
Certificate
15strong sex, self-harm
Released
2018
Country
Belgium
Language
French with English subtitles