L'Animale

Mati lives in a village in the provinces and spends most of her time with her male friends and their bikes. Inside the group she acts tough and is accepted as one of them. Then two things change at once: Sebastian, her closest friend, falls in love with her, and Carla, who used to be on bad terms with her, becomes a friend. Mati's place in the group is shaken. Katharina Mückstein's Austrian film takes up sexual orientation and identity through Mati and through her parents alike; there is a decision the mother and father have to make as well. The telling judges nobody and ties itself to no easy resolution. Sophie Stockinger plays Mati. The images are warm, while the tone stays distanced and observing.