Claudia Grob, Anaïs Uldry, Kassia Da Costa, Joyce Esther Ndayisenga
“Who are you?” – “The queen of punks, in the land of pain in the ass.” Grand Prix winner in the Berlinale’s Generation 14plus strand, Fred Baillif’s intimate, naturalistic drama is set in a Geneva group home.
Seven girls live together under the same roof but haven’t chosen each other – just like a family. Emerging from difficult backgrounds, here they find a new community in a way they’ve never experienced before. Sharing joy and pain, they passionately rebel against the shortcomings of their surroundings – and occasionally, each other – and home director Lora is always there for them when they need her. Or is it the other way around?
Reminiscent of Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, La Mif was created in close collaboration with its non-professional actresses, who themselves lived in a care home at the time of filming, and who deliver tremendously moving and dynamic performances – ably directed by Baillif, himself a former social worker. Exploring its characters’ fates individually and collectively, it’s a raw, often heart-wrenching examination of the juvenile care system that ploughs a dynamic line between documentary and fiction.