Water Lilies (film)
Encyclopedia
Water Lilies is a 2007 French film and the debut as a screenwriter and director of Céline Sciamma
.
) come to learn the true meaning of arousal and the power of sexual attraction.
reported that 76% of 42 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 65 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.
Tim Palmer discusses the film in the context of first-time, debutant filmmaking in France, which makes up around 40% of French cinema each year. As such, Sciamma's film is formally audacious (notably in its minimalism), self-referential (as in the directors' cameo as a McDonald's clerk), and very engaged with intimate rites-of-passage, the socialization process rendered through a feminine sensibility.
at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
, and won both the 2007 Prix de la jeunesse at Cabourg Romantic Film Festival and the 2007 Prix Louis-Delluc.
The film secured three nominations for the 2008 César Awards; Céline Sciamma
was nominated for the 2008 César Award for Best Debut
, and actresses Adèle Haenel
and Louise Blachère were both nominated for the 2008 César Award for Most Promising Actress
. Eventually the Best Debut award went to Marjane Satrapi
and Vincent Paronnaud
for Persepolis
, and the Award for Most Promising Actress went to Hafsia Herzi
for her performance in La Graine et le Mulet.
The film was screened in November 2008 at the gay film festival Queersicht
in Berne, Switzerland.
Céline Sciamma
Céline Sciamma is a French screenwriter and film director.-Filmography:Director* 2007 : Water Lilies* 2009 : Pauline * 2011 : TomboyScreenwriter...
.
Plot
The film tracks the sexual awakenings of three 15-years-old female friends over the course of a single summer. Finding privacy in the solitude of the swimming pool locker room, blossoming teens Marie (Pauline Acquart), Anne (Louise Blachère) and Floriane (Adèle HaenelAdèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel is a French actress. She was nominated for a César Award in the Most Promising Actress category for her performance in the 2007 film, Water Lilies.-Filmography:-External links:...
) come to learn the true meaning of arousal and the power of sexual attraction.
Critical reception
Western critics have given the film generally positive reviews. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 76% of 42 sampled critics gave the film positive reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 65 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.
Tim Palmer discusses the film in the context of first-time, debutant filmmaking in France, which makes up around 40% of French cinema each year. As such, Sciamma's film is formally audacious (notably in its minimalism), self-referential (as in the directors' cameo as a McDonald's clerk), and very engaged with intimate rites-of-passage, the socialization process rendered through a feminine sensibility.
Awards and nominations
The film was selected for screening in the section Un certain regardUn Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
, and won both the 2007 Prix de la jeunesse at Cabourg Romantic Film Festival and the 2007 Prix Louis-Delluc.
The film secured three nominations for the 2008 César Awards; Céline Sciamma
Céline Sciamma
Céline Sciamma is a French screenwriter and film director.-Filmography:Director* 2007 : Water Lilies* 2009 : Pauline * 2011 : TomboyScreenwriter...
was nominated for the 2008 César Award for Best Debut
César Award for Best Debut
The César Award for Best Debut was an award given out at the annual César Awards between 1982 and 1999...
, and actresses Adèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel
Adèle Haenel is a French actress. She was nominated for a César Award in the Most Promising Actress category for her performance in the 2007 film, Water Lilies.-Filmography:-External links:...
and Louise Blachère were both nominated for the 2008 César Award for Most Promising Actress
César Award for Most Promising Actress
The following is the list of winners of the César Award for Most Promising Actress . Since its inception in 1983, the award is given as part of the French film industry's annual César Awards....
. Eventually the Best Debut award went to Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian-born French contemporary graphic novelist, illustrator, animated film director, and children's book author...
and Vincent Paronnaud
Vincent Paronnaud
Pascal Stadler , a.k.a. Winshluss, is a French comics artist and filmmaker. He is best known for cowriting and codirecting with Marjane Satrapi the highly acclaimed animated film Persepolis , for which they received numerous awards including the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival as well...
for Persepolis
Persepolis (film)
Persepolis is a 2007 French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. The story...
, and the Award for Most Promising Actress went to Hafsia Herzi
Hafsia Herzi
Hafsia Herzi is a French actress of Algerian and Tunisian descent. She is best known for her debut role in the award-winning Franco-Tunisian feature The Secret of the Grain for which she won the award for most promising actress at the César Awards 2008, and the Marcello Mastroianni award, for best...
for her performance in La Graine et le Mulet.
The film was screened in November 2008 at the gay film festival Queersicht
Queersicht
Queersicht is a gay and lesbian film festival held in Bern, Switzerland. Founded in 1997, it is the oldest film festival for LGBT and queer movies in Switzerland. It is linked to radical left-wing and alternative structures and has a non-profit structure...
in Berne, Switzerland.
External links
- Naissance Des Pieuvres OST at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...