Directed by Laurent Micheli, it narrates the story of a trans girl’s reconnection with her estranged father
BY ELEANOR NOYCE, IMAGE BY PECCADILLO PICTURES
In need of LGBTQI content to watch over the festive break? Directed by Laurent Micheli and starring Benoit Magimel, Mya Bollaers and Sami Outalbali, Lola And The Sea is fresh from Peccadillo Pictures. Empowered by her life-changing transition, Lola is studying towards her diploma as a veterinary assistant. Living with best friend Samir, portrayed by Sex Education’s Sami Outalbali, she’s thriving.
That is, until she receives the news that her mother has passed away. Returning home for the funeral, she and her estranged father, Phillipe, are forced to reconnect. To fulfil her mother’s last wishes, they travel together to the North Sea, and for the first time, Phillipe begins to understand and accept his daughter’s identity.
Platforming trans narratives in an industry that so often fails to do so, Lola And The Sea’s casting is revolutionary. The esteemed Mya Bollaers portrays Lola, and she was the first transgender woman to win the Most Promising Actress accolade at Belgium’s Magritte Awards.
For director Laurent Micheli, it was important that a trans actor was cast in a trans role. On representation on-screen, she states: “It was an important choice to show that face and that body on the screen. Transgender people have been invisible in society. It’s time to give them a platform, to make them heroes and offer a spotlight. All I hope is that in 20 years, a trans woman will be able to play a cisgender role, and vice versa. It’s just that we’re not there yet”.
Lola And The Sea is out now. For more information, visit their website. To keep up with Peccadillo Pictures, follow them on Twitter.
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