Toxic
Marija and Kristina, two-13 year-old young teens, want to escape their industrial Lithuanian hometown. Marija is tall, quiet, and walks with a limp, whereas Kristina is small and fierce. A glimmer of hope comes in the form of a local modelling academy with big promises and grim premises, and the two form an unlikely alliance amidst the bitchy comments of their fellow academy hopefuls. As their friendship grows, so does their social standing, but can their unorthodox attempts to meet the academy’s gruelling physical standards end well?
The debut feature from writer-director Saulė Bliuvaitė, the film is unflinching in its look at the lengths young people will go to in searching for a bright future. Gritty, snappy, and firmly in disruptor territory, Toxic was the deserving winner of both the Golden Leopard and the First Feature Award at this year's Locarno Film Festival.
This screening features a special message from the filmmaker for the Cork audience.