Little Girl (French: Petite fille) is a 2020 French documentary film written and directed by Sébastien Lifshitz.[2] The cinematography was by Paul Guilhaume, and the editing was by Pauline Gaillard.[3] It focuses on the story of transgender seven-year-old Sasha, who was assigned male at birth but has known she is a girl since the age of four. She sees a psychiatrist with a special interest in gender who diagnoses her with gender dysphoria. The documentary follows the difficulty Sasha and her family face in helping her transition in provincial France.[4][5][6]
| Little Girl | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| French | Petite fille |
| Directed by | Sébastien Lifshitz |
| Screenplay by | Sébastien Lifshitz |
| Produced by | Muriel Meynard |
| Cinematography | Paul Guilhaume |
| Edited by | Pauline Gaillard |
| Music by | Yolande Decarsin |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $28,876[1] |
Screenings
editLittle Girl was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama Queer film section in 2020.[3][7] It was shown at the Zurich Film Festival in 2020[8] and Chicago International Film Festival.[9] In the UK, it was shown on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer under the Storyville documentary strand in 2021.[10]
Reception
editLeslie Felperin of The Guardian gave the documentary 4 out of 5 stars, praising Guilhaume's "limpid" cinematography as "[allowing the viewer] to study every flicker of expression on the faces of Sasha and the adults around her".[4]
Ben Dowell of The Times also gave the film 4 out of 5 stars.[11]
Awards
edit- Winner, European Film Award for Best Sound Designer at the European Film Awards[12]
- The 2020 Grand Prix for Best Film at Film Fest Gent[13]
- Silver Hugo for Best Documentary film at the 2020 Chicago International Film Festival[14]
- The Prix du public at the Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal (RIDM) in 2020[15]
- Side by Side LGBT Film Festival, Saint Petersburg 2020 Best Documentary[16]
References
edit- ^ "Little Girl (2020)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Brody, Richard (2021-09-20). ""Little Girl," Reviewed: A Brilliantly Directed Documentary About a Transgender Child". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ a b Hoeij, Boyd van (2020-02-22). "'Little Girl' ('Petite fille'): Film Review | Berlin 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ a b "Little Girl review – a brave child's journey to her true self". The Guardian. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ Aguilar, Carlos (2021-09-16). "Review: A French mother fights for her daughter's rights in moving documentary 'Little Girl'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (2021-03-04). "'Little Girl' Review: A Trans Girl Grows Into Herself in a Lovely, Light-Filled Documentary". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ "Petite fille | Little Girl". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ Petite fille - Zurich Film Festival, retrieved 2022-03-06
- ^ "Little Girl". International Films - Independent Films | Music Box Films. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "BBC Four - Storyville, Petite Fille". BBC. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ Dowell, Ben (2021-07-01). "Storyville: Petite Fille review — film-making with a light touch and real depth". The Times. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "Little Girl / Petite Fille". europeanfilmawards.eu. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "Little Girl wins big in Ghent". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "ChiFilmFest announces the winners of its 2020 competition". | Reel Chicago - At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ Revert, Amélie (2020-12-02). "«L'Indien malcommode» et «Petite Fille» au palmarès des RIDM 2020". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "Side by Side LGBT Film Festival | AWARDS". Side by Side LGBT Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-07-04.