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Water Lilies
Water Lilies
Naissance des pieuvres
2007 ·85 min ·France · 18+
6.7
IMDb 6.7 КП 5.8 RT 81% MC 67
Drama, Romance
Director: Céline Sciamma
Trailers Water Lilies

Set during a sultry summer in a French suburb, Marie is desperate to join the local pool's synchronized swimming team, but is her interest solely for the sake of sport or for a chance to get close to Floriane, the bad girl of the team? Sciamma, and the two leads, capture the uncertainty of teenage sexuality with a sympathetic eye in this delicate drama of the angst of coming-of-age.

US Gross: $85,440
Pauline Acquart
Actor
Louise Blachère
Actor
Adèle Haenel
Actor
🎬 César Awards 2008 — Best Debut
🎬 César Awards 2008 — Most Promising Actress

Céline Sciamma's debut is a polarizing coming-of-age drama that uses the metaphor of synchronized swimming to explore the raw, uncomfortable, and often unreciprocated nature of teenage desire. While some viewers find its sparse dialogue and unflinching depiction of adolescent confusion deeply authentic and beautiful, others perceive the characters as alienating and the storytelling as unrefined or repulsive.

Production The film utilizes the setting of synchronized swimming as a potent metaphor for the duality between surface-level grace and submerged emotional depth.
Screenplay The screenplay opts for a minimalist approach, relying on subtle glances, silence, and physical movement rather than explicit dialogue to convey character interiority.
Theme The depiction of adolescent sexuality and relationship dynamics ranges from being praised as raw and honest to criticized as grotesque, unnatural, or poorly executed.
Pacing The deliberate, slow-burning pace and contemplative atmosphere are seen by some as an immersive experience, while others find it tedious and lacking in engagement.
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