Recently, I had a chance to take part in a film viewing and a discussion as part of a film festival presented by the Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies. The film festival was started by Professor Sethna and Dr. Christine Kelly, a postdoctoral fellow working in disability studies at the Institute.
As part of the festival, we watched Céline Sciamma’s Tomboy. Tomboy revolves around a 10-year-old girl, Laurie, who moves to a new neighbourhood and introduces herself to her new friends as a boy named Mikäel. The film follows the struggles that this young girl has as she attempts to create a new identity while maintaining this newly created identity a secret from her parents. Laurie meets Lisa, a young girl she befriends and begins forming an intimate relationship with. As the film progresses the audience is introduced to Laurie’s little sister, Jeanne as well as her mother and father.
Sciamma’s film is an intriguing look into the complex notion of identity and sexuality. Mikäel’s youth helps move the story and gives credibility to the plot thanks to Laurie’s prepubescent appearance and her innocence. Furthermore, Laurie’s relationship with her sister is beautifully portrayed thanks to strong performances from Zoé Héran and Malonn Lévana. Sciamma puts the two girls in contrast to illustrate how different they are. Jeanne is the embodiment of the typical female as constructed by society while Laurie prefers to pretend to be a boy. Laurie’s identity is further explored through her relationship with her parents. The young girl seems to identify more with her father, who plays masculine games with her and teaches her how to drive at the beginning of the movie.
Tomboy is as much a film about gender as it is a film about power relations. The complex characters are often put in contrast with one another as Laurie struggles to find her place within a friend group that values boys more than girls.
Following the viewing, we had a discussion where students and professors raised a number of interesting points about the film. Many students interpreted the film as a film about transgender identity. Moreover, we discussed the relationships Laurie has with her sister, Laura and her mother. Like myself, the other students found Céline Sciamma’s film excellent. Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Jeanne Disson and Sophie Cattani give a touching performance. Director Céline Sciamma’s film is complex, much like her previous work. As a result Tomboy is a well-directed film, full of social commentary that is guaranteed to make for a good conversation with friends.