The winner of a Work in Progress Award at Les Arcs and CONNeXT (see the news), Girl [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lukas Dhont
scheda film] by debutant director Lukas Dhont, has been added to the line-up of The Match Factory. The German international sales agent confirmed the deal on the first day of the European Film Market (15-23 February).

Girl, which was developed at the Cannes Cinéfondation, follows a 15-year-old girl, Lara – portrayed by newcomer Victor Polster – who was born in a boy’s body and wants to become a ballerina. Arieh Worthalter, who was nominated for the 2018 Magritte Awards, will play Lara’s father.

Girl is a Belgian-Dutch co-production by Dirk Impens (Menuet), the company behind Felix van Groeningen’s films (including The Broken Circle Breakdown [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Felix van Groeningen
intervista: Felix Van Groeningen
intervista: Felix Van Groeningen
scheda film]) and Stijn Coninx’s Daens, along with Frakas Productions and Topkapi Films.

Dhont has forged a successful career in short films, and his 2014 L’Infini was the Belgian entry for the Academy Awards. Other acclaimed members of the crew are Belgian cinematographer Frank van den Eeden (Home [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Fien Troch
scheda film] by Fien Troch), editor Alain Dessauvage (Bullhead [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Bart Van Langendonck
intervista: Michaël R. Roskam
scheda film] by Michaël R Roskam) and internationally renowned Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

The film is expected to be completed in the summer, while Girl has also already secured its French distribution with Diaphana.

Thania Dimitrakopoulou, head of sales at The Match Factory, stated: “We are very happy to be working with Lukas on his mesmerising and bold debut film, and even more so with long-time partners such as Dirk Impens of production house Menuet and Diaphana as the French distributor. We all strongly believe in the great impression a film like Girl will make on audiences and the critics, and very much look forward to sharing it soon.”