Little Girl is the touching French documentary portrait of seven-year-old Sasha, who questions her gender, and in doing so, evokes the sometimes disturbing reactions of a society that is still largely invested in a traditional boy-girl way of thinking.
Acclaimed documentary maker Sebastian Lifshitz was motivated to create this sympathetic, intimate documentary whilst making ‘Bambi’, a film about the 1950’s trans dancer and showgirl Marie-Pierre Pruvot for which he won the coveted Teddy Award at the Berlinale. Lifshitz became curious about the childhoods of trans people after Pruvot told him that she knew about herself from the age of three or four. His initial search to find protagonists for the documentary yielded two families, Sasha’s family who were struggling somewhat with rural attitudes in France, and a Canadian family. The Canadian family were in a very different situation, with the widespread acceptance of trans children and trans identity in Canada meaning that family were in a good space. Lifshitz chose to focus on the French family.
Sasha was born male but has always known that she is a girl. Sasha’s family have recently accepted her gender identity, embracing their daughter for who she truly is. They are a solid, united family and will go to any lengths to defend Sasha. We follow Sasha and her mother Karine as they navigate often naïve and unsympathetic medical and education systems in rural France to find the best path for Sasha. Socially things can be awkward too – with clothes shopping, birthday parties and dance lessons also throwing obstacles in their way. A lot of their time and energy is spent on confronting out-dated norms. Lifshitz builds up a real trust with the family and gets very involved with them, even introducing Karine to a child psychiatrist in Paris who specializes in trans children. This is a vast improvement from their previous family doctor who had no understanding of trans issues. The religious principle at Sasha’s school is no better, displaying intolerance, a lack of understanding, and is in no rush to help at all. Some of the scenes are painful and upsetting to watch but the overriding feeling is that of the unconditional love that Sasha’s family has for each other. Lifshitz poetically explores the emotional challenges, everyday feats and small moments in little Sasha’s life.
This film has an educational slant and is a useful resource for any parent going through the same issues. When Karine eventually meets the understanding child psychiatrist, we see the feelings of relief as Karine finally gets the answers to questions that have plagued her for years. ‘Did I do something wrong?’, ‘Did wanting a girl when I was pregnant cause Sasha’s gender dysmorphia?’, ‘Was it the right decision to let her dress as a little girl?’
Lifshitz hopes that Sasha and her family’s story will inspire others to affirm children who are comfortable addressing their gender identity publically, and for them to live their lives uninterrupted. He will for sure achieve this. It’s an excellent documentary. Highly recommended.
LITTLE GIRL, is now screening in select US theaters and becomes available to rent/purchase on all major digital platforms on Tuesday, November 16. from Music Box Films as part of Trans Awareness Week In the UK it is already streaming on major platforms such as Curzon Home
Review: Ris Fatah Queerguru Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
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