Girl

Girl (2018) is a Belgian drama from Lukas Dhont you can watch online on iFILM. Fifteen-year-old Lara wins a place at a top ballet academy and wants nothing more than to dance on pointe. The catch: she was born a boy and is in the middle of hormone treatment.

Her father backs her completely, but her body won't fall in line. Hours at the barre, taping, the long wait for surgery — Lara pushes herself harder than any teacher would dare, and that quiet drive slowly turns into self-harm. The film rarely raises its voice. The camera stays close to her face and her spine, leaving you alone with the dysphoria. First-timer Victor Polster was cast out of the dance world, and his physicality makes every rehearsal land in your own body.

This was Dhont's feature debut, and it took the Caméra d'Or for best first film at Cannes, while Polster picked up the Un Certain Regard acting prize. It drew real criticism too — some trans viewers felt it lingered on suffering — but few films are this honest about the gap between who you feel you are and what the mirror shows. Tough, deliberate, and worth it if you go for auteur drama. Stream Girl (2018) online on iFILM.