Girl on DVD

Description

Determined 15-year-old Lara (Victor Polster) is committed to becoming a professional ballerina. With the support of her father, she throws herself into this quest for the absolute at a new school. Lara's adolescent frustrations and impatience are heightened as she realises her body does not bend so easily to the strict discipline because she was born a boy. Camera d'Or for best first feature and Queer Palm at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. London Film Festival's First Feature Competition Winner 2018. Review A performance infused with great stillness and energy from actor/dancer Victor Polster drives Belgian director/co-writer Lukas Dhont s affecting if uneven coming-of-age tale. Nominated for best foreign language film at the Golden Globes after scooping several awards at Cannes (including the Camera d Or and Queer Palm), the film has become the focus of controversy regarding both the central casting of a cisgender actor in a trans role, and the wider treatment of transgender issues. Yet, for me, Girl works best when viewed as a distant cousin of Billy Elliot, a tale of fluid teenage identity intertwined with the inflexible discipline of dance. - Mark Kermode (3 Stars) --https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/mar/17/girl-review-lukas-dhont-transgender-ballet-dancer About the Actor After developing an interest in dancing, Polster enrolled at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. He appeared in a number of television commercials and music videos, before making his film debut in Girl, in which he played the role of Lara, a trans girl who pursues a career as a ballerina. The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where Polster won the Un Certain Regard Jury Award for Best Performance. His portrayal received general acclaim from film critics, resulting in numerous accolades. At the 9th Magritte Awards, Girl received nine nominations and won four, including Best Actor for Polster. About the Director Lukas Dhont is a director and writer, known for Girl (2018), Headlong (2012) and L'Infini (2014).