Toxic

Akiplėša

TIFF65: Greek Premiere

In a smashing debut that defies all sorts of stereotypes around bodily (and embodied) representations, the question of inclusion, and the Western gaze on the specters of the Iron Curtain, a young Lithuanian filmmaker presents a visceral, visionary work that swept the awards in the latest Locarno IFF. Abandoned by her mother, 13-year-old Maria is forced to live with her grandmother in a bleak industrial town. During a violent clash on the street, Maria meets Kristina, a girl of the same age, striving to become a fashion model. In a bid to get closer to her, Maria enrolls in a mysterious modeling school, where the girls are preparing for the biggest casting event in the region. Her ambiguous relationship with Kristina and the intense, cult-like environment of the modeling school launch Maria on a quest to discover her own identity. A daring defense of the positionality of Eastern Europe, femininity, and youth, against the challenges of our era.