Water Lilies / Naissance des pieuvres

At a synchronized swimming show in the local pool, fifteen-year-old Marie falls in love with Floriane. They become friends, and through afternoons spent by the pool, parties, and nighttime encounters, they discover desire and the magic of first attraction. Water Lilies, however, is not just a carefree film about friendship and idealized first loves – it also depicts the cruelty, jealousy, and envy of which young girls are capable. Céline Sciamma’s striking debut, presented at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, foreshadowed her long-term interest in individuality and the transformation of identity during adolescence – themes she further developed in her later films Tomboy (2011), Girlhood (2014), and Petite Maman (2021). Gentle and intimate, Water Lilies marks Sciamma’s first collaboration with Adèle Haenel, who plays Floriane, and represents a milestone in the careers of both outstanding talents.