Slideshow
TOMBOY
France, 2011
Directed by Céline Sciamma
With Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Sophie Cattani, Mathieu Demy, Jeanne Disson
In French with English subtitles
Approx. 82 min. 35mm print courtesy of TIFF's Film Reference Library.
“Nods to the tender, free-spirited studies of corrupted youth by the Dardenne brothers. Coming across like a playground version of Twelfth Night, Zoé Héran is our heroine, astonishing in the dual role of gangly fourth-grader Laure and Mikael: she’s the former when at home with her doting parents and cherubic younger sister, but the latter when she wants to play football, tussle and kiss girls with the kids on her estate. Sciamma’s careful and detailed portrayal of a confused kid trapped in gender purgatory never lunges for the easy gag at the expense of psychological credibility.” – David Jenkins, Time Out
Reviews
“Sciamma captures the raw, little idiosyncrasies that embody kids of that age and uses them to her advantage, crafting very real, innocent moments and, in turn, nailing the essence of childhood right on the head.”
– IndieWire