Ava

French director Léa Mysius makes her debut on the big screen with a whirlwind of a coming-of-age story, about 13 year old Ava who is rapidly losing her eyesight. We follow Ava through what is likely her last summer with her vision intact, as her mother desperately tries to maintain the cozy holiday mood. Ava, however, has her own way of dealing with things. With a sudden burst of irrationality that she doesn’t quite understand herself, she steals a large black dog, falls in love with a mysterious young man on the run, and she evolves from a self-involved, unenthused teen into an outlaw rebel woman – desperate to get a taste of life itself, before everything turns to darkness.

The directing style of Mysius bears witness to an infectious anarchist energy, and draws lines to icons such as Godard and Truffaut. What’s more, Ava is filmed on gorgeous 35mm film, which is turning into something of a rare sight for most of us. With a fine sprinkle of nostalgia, this is a film which is both a modern character portrait and a tribute to the world which is inevitably disappearing in our rear view mirrors. A life-affirming debut which in every way uncovers light in the darkness.

Lea Mysius (b. 1986) is a French filmmaker born in Bordeaux. Like many other young French talents she studied at the film school La Femis, as a scriptwriter, and has worked with renowned directors such as Arnaud Desplechin. Ava is her first feature film.