Skiff

Fifteen-year-old Malou is in her element in a rowboat, but the other girls in the club bully her because she won’t row as part of a team and won’t shower after training. Malou wants to hide her body – preferably in her big brother’s clothes. Her mother’s attempts to connect with her fail to meet her real needs, and only her older brother Max makes her feel unconditionally loved and protected. Then Max’s new girlfriend, Nouria (17) shows up on the scene, sending Malou on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Sometimes shy and hesitant, sometimes impulsive, Malou begins to act on an attraction to Nouria, and to rethink their own identity. But in doing so, Malou is betraying Max – of all people. In this nuanced coming-of-age drama, director Cecilia Verheyden paints an intimate portrait of the protagonist’s inner turmoil. At the same time, "Skiff" tells a story that shows how unsettling and tough growing up "different" still is.