NQV Media have been entertaining us for the past couple of years with their ‘Boys Feels’ collection so it’s only fair that a sister release, ‘Girls Feels’, has made its way onto digital download platforms. This new off-shoot, so far, features three releases and the first one ‘Girls Feels: Into The Blue’ showcases four shorts from France, Lithuania and the UK that share a common theme of water.
The collection opens with ‘Off Season’ by Célia Bchir and it tells the story of life guard Marion who spends her days saving lives in a small seaside resort. After witnessing a swimmer she’d become enchanted with drowning, Marion realises that the incident has stirred up long suppressed feelings inside her and she embarks on a journey of self-discovery is both exciting and scary. The short is a subtle start to the collection and it eases you in nicely for what’s to come.
Léa Mysius and Paul Guilhaume’s ‘The Yellow Island’ is a meditation on adolescence and coming-of-age, focusing on 11-year-old Ena (Ena Letourneux) who has her attention pulled by a boy with a disfigured face. The connection she forms with him is surprising and intriguing, and enough to distract her from the young fisherman she’s made a date with. The short digs into how children can overlook the superficial and make up their own minds about things once they are away from the influence of society’s expectations.
‘The Swimmer’ from Gabriele Urbonaite is the strongest of the four shorts here. 10-year-old Grete is trying to overcome her fear of jumping into the water and she befriends 19-year-old professional swimmer Ariel, who agrees to help her. Unbeknownst to Grete, Ariel is struggling with the pressure her father, who is her coach, is placing on her as she battles leg pain to compete in the Olympics. The two girls may be in different stages of their lives, but they are pulled together by their interest in swimming and their desire to overcome their respective problems. It’s a sweet story that digs surprisingly deep in its 28 minutes.
The final short included is UK filmmaker Alex Withers’ ‘Butterfly’. Competitive swimmer Jane is on the cusp of a promising career when her epilepsy returns and threatens to scupper her dreams. Withers carefully explores the balance between ambition and looking after your health as she develops Jane into a sympathetic character that the audience can relate to. The short rounds out the collection nicely and brings four very different, although thematically connected, stories to a close.
‘Girls Feels: Into The Blue’ is a promising start for the new series from NQV Media. With two other titles now available, it’s nice to see women under the spotlight and see more of their stories from around the world. Short and sweet, ‘Girls Feels: Into The Blue’ shines much-needed spotlight on filmmakers from around the globe and in the spirit of NQV Media’s previous releases, it tells stories that not many other distributors are backing right now.
Cast: Céline Barti, Violette Gitton, Ena Letourneux, Egle Valadkeviciute, Ugne Beleckaite, Louise Salter Directors: Célia Bchir, Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume, Gabriele Urbonaite, Alex Withers Certificate: 16+ Duration: 94 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 8th July 2022 Buy ‘Girl Feels: Into the Blue’ now
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