The Camera d’Or for best first film at the 2018 Cannes Film Fest was awarded to Lukas Dhont’s Girl.
Girl premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded Best Actor for Victor Polster
Netflix acquires 2018 Cannes Film Festival Award Winner “Girl” for North America and Latin America
GIRL
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The Camera d’Or, for best first film, was awarded to Girl
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Vincent Polster won the Best Actor Prize for Un Certain Regard for his performance in Girl
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Lukas Dhont’s Un Certain Regard entry Girl was awarded this year’s Queer Palm award.
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The Queer Palm launched in 2010 and selects its winner from all LGBTQ-themed films across the official selection of the Cannes film festival, Un Certain Regard, Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week and the unofficial ACID section.
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Synopsis:
Lara, a determined girl at 15, is committed to become a professional ballerina. With the support of her father, she throws herself into this quest at a new school. Lara’s adolescent frustrations and impatience are heightened as she realizes that her body does not bend so easily to the strict discipline because she was born a boy.
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Director: Lukas Dhont
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Cast:
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Victor Polster, Arieh Worthalter, Oliver Bodart, Tijmen Govaerts, Katelijne Damen, Valentijn Dhaenens, Magali Elali, Alice de Broqueville
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Screenwriters: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens
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Producer: Dirk Impens
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Production companies: Menuet, Frakas Productions, Topkapi Films
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International Sales: The Match Factory
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About Lukas Dhont
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 was the Belgian entry for the Academy Awards in 2015.
In 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, 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.
Controversy:
Lucas Dhont’s film Girl has won the Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize).
“The power of this first film has been recompensed in the awards round: the Camera D’Or prize for best debut feature, the UCR Best Actor award for Victor Polster who plays Lara, and the FIPRESCI award from international critics. In the original FIPRESCI citation the jury praised the film’s “bold integrity in tackling gender issues and displaying incredible poise from a first-time director.”
“Also highlighted in the citation was what was first described as “the delicate and touching rapport in a father-son relationship wonderfully portrayed by the two actors” [the father by Arieh Worthalter]. The description after arguments and reflection as well as social media feedback was changed to “father-daughter relationship” to better echo the film’s spirit. The jury regrets the delay in reaction due to seeking out the views of jury members and the offence that was caused.”
