Swedish writer-director Sanna Lenken’s feature debut is a striking drama that’s been screened at the Berlinale (where it won a Crystal Bear from the Festival’s Youth Jury), Goteborg (Best Nordic Film) Toronto and London Film Festivals this year.
It takes on teen eating disorders, a topic often accompanied by a range of onscreen clichés; but in this case treated with subtle, intricate focus, as her story doesn’t take the victim as its protagonist, but unfolds through the eyes of her younger sister.
So we see a dysfunctional family through the eyes of its youngest child – awkward, precocious Stella (Rebecka Josephson), who’s on the cusp of adolescence and idolises her older sister, competitive ice skater Katja (Amy Deasismont); and is the first to notice when Katja starts starving herself in her quest for excellence.
With outstanding performances by and chemistry between the two girls, Lenken’s debut is a nuanced and naturalistic portrayal of a difficult but common scenario; unusually exploring the far-reaching emotional impact of eating disorders for those who depend on, and look up to, their sufferers.