Alice Júnior

Gil Baroni's 2020 Brazilian film builds the story of a trans teenager outside the usual narrative of suffering. Alice posts videos online, is confident and full of life, and has to move from a large city to a small, conservative town because of her father's work. Not being accepted at her new school and the daily obstacles wear on her, but something else sits at the film's centre: she wants her first kiss. Baroni keeps the visual language deliberately bright and colourful, with on-screen graphics and a social media aesthetic. The relationship between father and daughter is its warmest element. Given how often trans characters reach the screen only through tragedy, that register is itself a decision. Who it's for: viewers who like queer teen films and light-toned Latin American cinema. Who it's not for: anyone expecting the problems to be examined in depth; the film keeps its weight deliberately light.