Girl

In relentless pursuit of her dream of becoming a ballerina, Lara is willing to shrug off sore feet passionately exercising every day. Lara is facing difficulties that go beyond the pressure to perform and the insecurities of puberty, however. She was born a boy – and desperately longs to have a female body. Her family, her father in particular, is supporting Lara through her hormone treatment. Nevertheless, she soon starts to lose her patience: the physical changes are progressing at an excruciatingly slow pace and the planned sex change is still far too far away. Driven by the desire to stand out as a dancer and to belong as a girl, Lara’s training becomes more and more rigorous – exceeding even her own limits. This intense debut by Belgian director Lukas Dhont is part of the current new wave of transgender films. It was awarded the "Camera d'Or" for best debut in Cannes. 16-year-old dancer and neo-actor Victor Polster’s brilliant performance was recognised with the "Un Certain Regard" section’s award for best actor.