Holly

Holly is an ordinary fifteen-year-old girl. She doesn't have many friends, and she's not exactly the most popular in her class. Only her sister and Bart, a neurodiverse boy, occasionally bring a smile to Holly's face. Her grades leave much to be desired, and when asked if she's bullied, she dryly replies, "sometimes." But her response to the bullying sets her apart. "I feel sorry for them," she informs a teacher. Holly displays almost supernatural empathy. Is it genuine compassion or naivety? As a wallflower, she lives an unnoticed existence. Until one day she has a strange premonition, calls off for school, warns them too, and consequently escapes a disastrous fire. Suddenly, all eyes are on Holly, and she finds herself caught in a whirlwind she did not choose.

Seven years after winning the Audience Award and the Georges Delerue Award for Best Music with the internationally acclaimed Home, director Fien Troch returns to Ghent with this intriguing portrait that refuses to be defined and breaks free of all comparisons. From her debut film Een ander zijn geluk (2005) and the subsequent Unspoken (2008) – both dealing with unspeakable loss – it was clear that Troch possesses a unique cinematic voice. With Kid (2012) and Home, she not only confirmed her talent but also continued to explore the complex emotions of children and adolescents, as well as how we, as humans, cope with life's darker aspects. Holly is a poignant study of collective trauma and of our need to believe in something or someone when times get tough. Like her previous films, Holly dares to delve into discomfort without sacrificing Troch's intuitive and sensitive perspective. Frank van den Eeden's cinematography favors close-ups and captures genuine emotions – from regret, fear, and panic to confusion and despair – while Troch gradually allows darkness to seep in and blend with her characters. That uneasy, mysterious feeling you can hardly put your finger on, creeps into the film thanks to Nico Leunen's editing. Mix in Johnny Jewel's clashing score and the remarkable performance by the Venice award-winning newcomer Cathalina Geeraerts, and you'll understand why Holly was a contender for the Golden Lion in Venice.

"Holly, a 15-year-old girl, appears to develop clairvoyance and magical healing powers - or does she? - in Belgian director Fien Troch's intriguing, ambiguous fifth feature. Anchored by a charismatic yet impressively subtle lead performance by Cathalina Geeraerts, the film flirts with different genres, and at various stages looks poised to emerge as a teen-themed horror show like Carrie or a didactic dramatization of the evils of bullying. Ultimately it ends up being neither of those things and evolves into a sly black comedy about the impossibility of truly unselfish altruism." - The Hollywood Reporter