In the same year that the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner A Fantastic Woman visited themes of identity and transition, Lukas Dhont‘s directorial debut Girl explores the same, but from the vantage point of a teenage girl born in a boy’s body. A deeply empathetic debut feature with a down-to-earth sense of observational naturalism, with almost no prejudice regarding the dreams of this central figure, Dhont delivers an intuitively accessible, honest look at the internal struggle of a teenager who never once questions her femininity and who has the strongest support from her family to move towards true emancipation.
Presented in Un Certain Regard section and winner of coveted Caméra d’Or award for best first feature film (see our quick clip) at the Cannes Film Festival, I had the chance to sit with Dhont to ask about the source of inspiration, his reflection on Lara’s character, and the work method he employees with his actor set.