Skiff, Cinema M

The sculling rowing discipline is the passion of 15-year-old Malou and dominates her life, except that she is bullied and excluded by the rest of the team. Yet she receives support and love from her family: especially from brothers Alex and Max, while her mother Annick makes an effort to have a good bond with her. After her divorce, she is dating Malou's rowing coach again. Wanneer Max brings his girlfriend home one day, Malou's life is turned upside down: she develops feelings for the beautiful and confident Nouria, and as a result she not only risks ending up in an unwanted rivalry and love triangle, but also risks jeopardizing her precious bond with Max... Regisseur Cecilia Verheyden portrays Malou in a very personal way, with striking shots of her facial expressions: a deserved stage for the impressive acting of Femke Vanhove, whom we already know from ‘Radioman’. What also makes the film so good is that no earth-shattering dramas happen here, but ordinary life and the difficulties that come with it. Everything is also approached with a lot of nuance and tenderness, often using more images than words to make something clear. The dialogues also feel natural and spontaneous, and the characters are given space to show who they are. The rowing course in the film is that of Hazewinkel in Willebroek. ‘Skiff’ is a moving story about friendship, family, and identity. This beautiful coming-of-age story is therefore also suitable for teenagers! (autumn break)