GIRL (2018) Lukas Dhont

Seen at Cannes 2018.

You might say, “ Oh no, another film about gender? Again? ”

The surprise here lies precisely in this, in its completely atypical nature: no bullying, no running away from people who want to beat you up, no leaving home. Lara ( formerly Victor ) is 16 and is starting treatment for a sex change operation. She lives with her father and little brother Milo ( her mother is never named ). Both are completely supportive of her; her father even attends her medical checkups and follows every step of the transformation. Lara has a dream: to become a classical dancer. She was already one before the change and wants to continue dancing even as a girl, which is no easy feat considering the physical structure she's gaining as a teenager. At a certain point, she seeks to accelerate the change, wanting the hormones to take effect immediately, and the director is brilliant at making the audience experience this rush with her.

The ease and relaxed way in which friends and family accept this, the seamless integration into the school ( let's not forget that the film is set in Holland, so it's perfectly plausible ) makes this film truly tender, devoid of malice or morbidity. It highlights how Lara's life can resemble the lives of any girl her age, with measuring tape to take, dance lessons, first crushes, and pranks with friends. She always feels a little out of place, but who doesn't at that age?