Lara transfers to a new school with dreaming of a prima ballerina. Not far into the film, the shy Lara is revealed to be a transgender girl stuck in the body of a boy. Her family is completely supportive and her friends are accepting. But what makes things hard for Lara is not arduous ballet training. It is the body of a boy that hinders her will to become a woman and prima ballerina. Lara’s situation is not dramatically exaggerated in the film, but directly approached through objective and realistic observation. All the turmoil within Lara–feelings surrounding growing pains, reliance on success, sexual discord between the body and the mind–is transferred onto the audience through the projected image of her face and body on screen. Victor Polster was cast as Lara on the spot by the director, and is just as amazing as the film itself. Lukas Dhont’s Girl is one of must-see feature debuts of the year. (Jin Park)