Girl. A film by. Lukas Dhont

Transcription

1 Girl A film by Lukas Dhont

2 Synopsis Determined 15-year-old Lara 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 realizes her body does not bend so easily to the strict discipline because she was born a boy.

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4 During my childhood years my father wanted me to be a boy scout. Every two weeks he would drop me and my brother off and we would play with the other kids in the mud or go camping. We both hated going there. We much rather wanted to act, sing and dance because they felt like ways for us to truly express ourselves. You can imagine that it was confusing when we found out not much later that this was seen as feminine, for girls. I was a boy, so how could I like this? And eventually I stopped doing so because I didn t want to be laughed at.

5 Many years later, when I had just started film school, I read an article in a newspaper about a young girl. She was born in a boy s body but convinced she was in fact a girl. Even if her biology didn t agree with her. My admiration for her was instant. My passion to show a character like this, a courageous youngster, that challenges a society in which gender and sex are inevitably connected, was enormous. And there GIRL began. In the need to say something about how we perceive gender, about femininity and masculinity. But most importantly about an internal struggle of a young heroine who s putting her body at risk to become the person she wants to be. Someone who choses to be her true self at the age of fifteen, which for some people takes a lifetime. Lukas Dhont (writer-director of GIRL)

6 Lukas Dhont (writer-director) Lukas Dhont was born in Ghent, Belgium. He graduated with a diploma in audiovisual arts from the KASK School Of Arts in Ghent. His short films, CORPS PERDU and L INFINI, received numerous prizes. L INFINI also qualified for the Oscars in Throughout his studies, he focused on fiction but also explored the possibilities of documentary. In 2016, Lukas Dhont participated in the Cannes Cinéfondation residency with the script for his first feature film, GIRL. This film combines themes the filmmaker has already explored, like dance, transformation and identity. Lukas Dhont collaborates regularly with choreographer and dancer Jan Martens with whom he co-signed a performance titled The Common People GIRL 2014 L INFINI (short) 2012 CORPS PERDU (short) 2012 SKIN OF GLASS (short)

7 Victor Polster (as Lara) Victor Polster was born in Brussels in After studying drama courses at a very young age, he decided to pursue classical dance and joined the Royal Ballet School in Anvers. After appearing in a music clip by Vegas, Victor received proposals from the Ballet Vlaanderen and Dior, as well as success in various dance competitions. His portrayal of Lara in Lukas Dhont s GIRL marks his feature film debut.

8 Arieh Worthalter (as Mathias, Lara s Father) Immediately after his studies at the INSAS (Institut National Supérieurs des Arts du Spectacle), Arieh Worthalter began working in theatre. After a successful journey playing several roles under the direction of, amongst others, Paul Camus and Claude Schmitz, Worthalter began his movie career. He has appeared in in BASTILLE DAY/THE TAKE (James Watkins), MARIE-CURIE (Marie Noelle), PASSED IMPERFECT (Nathalie Teirlinck), ETERNITY (Tran Anh Hung) and RAZZIA (Nabil Ayouch). He will soon be seen in DUELLES (Olivier-Masset Depasse) and SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (Guillaume de Fontenay).

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10 Main Cast Victor Polster: Lara Arieh Worthalter: Mathias Oliver Bodart: Milo Tijmen Govaerts: Lewis Katelijne Damen: Dr. Naert Valentijn Dhaenens: Dr. Pascal Magali Elali: Christine Alice de Broqueville: Loïs Alain Honorez: Alain Chris Thys: Hannah Angelo Tijssens: Hendricks Marie-Louise Wilderijckx: Marie-Louise Virginia Hendricksen: Alain s assistant

11 Girl a film by Lukas Dhont 2018, Belgium, 105 minutes, 4K, 1/1.66, in French and Flemish Director: Lukas Dhont Screenwriter: Lukas Dhont Angelo Tijssens Cinematographer: Frank van den Eeden Editor: Alain Dessauvage Choreographer: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Art Director: Philippe Bertin Costume Design: Cathérine Van Bree Make-up: Michelle Beeckman Music: Valentin Hadjadj Sound: Yanna Soentjens Post-Production: Filmmore & WarnierPosta Producer: Dirk Impens (Menuet) Co-production companies: Frakas Productions Topkapi Films Co-producers: Jean-Yves Roubin Cassandre Warnauts Arnold Heslenfeld Laurette Schillings Frans Van Gestel Associate producers: Hans Everaert Alberte Gautot with the support of THE FLANDERS AUDIOVISUAL FUND (VAF), THE NETHERLANDS FILM FUND (NFF), LE CENTRE DU CINéMA ET DE L AUDIOVISUEL DE LA FéDéRATION WALLONIE-BRUXELLES, TELENET, THE TAX SHELTER MEASURE OF THE BELGIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TAXSHELTER.BE & CASA KAFKA PICTURES VICTOR POLSTER ARIEH WORTHALTER KATELIJNE DAMEN VALENTIJN DHAENENS IN GIRL A FILM BY LUKAS DHONT WRITTEN BY LUKAS DHONT & ANGELO TIJSSENS CINEMATOGRAPHY BY FRANK VAN DEN EEDEN EDITING ALAIN DESSAUVAGE CHOREOGRAPHY SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI ART DIRECTOR PHILIPPE BERTIN COSTUME DESIGN CATHERINE VAN BREE MICHELLE BEECKMAN VALENTIN HADJADJ YANNA SOENTJENS JEAN-YVES ROUBIN THE BELGIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CASA KAFKA PICTURES INTERNATIONAL SALES THE MATCH FACTORY CHOREOGRAPHY SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI ART DIRECTOR PHILIPPE BERTIN COSTUME DESIGN CATHERINE VAN BREE MAKE-UP MICHELLE BEECKMAN MUSIC VALENTIN HADJADJ SOUND YANNA SOENTJENS COPRODUCERS JEAN-YVES ROUBIN CASSANDRE WARNAUTS ARNOLD HESLENFELD LAURETTE SCHILLINGS FRANS VAN GESTEL ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS HANS EVERAERT & ALBERTE GAUTOT PRODUCED BY DIRK IMPENS DIRECTED BY LUKAS DHONT ASSOCIATED PRODUCERS HANS EVERAERT & ALBERTE GAUTOT PRODUCED BY DIRK IMPENS DIRECTED BY LUKAS DHONT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE FLANDERS AUDIOVISUAL FUND (VAF) THE NETHERLANDS FILM FUND (NFF) LE CENTRE DU CINÉMA ET DE L AUDIOVISUEL DE LA FÉDÉRATION WALLONIE-BRUXELLES TELENET THE TAX SHELTER MEASURE OF THE BELGIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CASA KAFKA PICTURES INTERNATIONAL SALES THE MATCH FACTORY

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13 World Sales International Press The Match Factory GmbH Domstrasse Cologne/Germany phone RICHARD LORMAND FILM PRESS PLUS phone AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL Résidence La Bagatelle / 4th Floor 25 La Croisette Cannes phone Follow us on A portrait of gender, identity and perseverance.