A wind-brushed coming-of-age drama that captures the dizzy intensity of first love, from writer-director Cecilia Verheyden and produced by the Academy Award-nominated Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night).

Fifteen year-old Malou is a gifted rower who loses herself in the rhythm, but she’s bullied by her teammates for avoiding the group showers. The youngest of three, she’s grown up exclusively wearing her brother’s hand-me-downs and revels in the androgyny. With her single mum tentatively beginning to date again, the one constant in Malou’s life is her older brother Max – until she develops unexpected feelings for his new girlfriend, Nouria. Caught between loyalty, desire and confusion, Malou’s inner world is quietly but irrevocably transformed.

Unfolding with an organic, naturalistic sensibility, Skiff is shot with warmth and precision by cinematographer Jordan Vanschel, carried by an eerie, ethereal score by Karl Frid. Anchored by a remarkably assured performance from Femke Vanhove, the film resists easy labels or conclusions, honouring uncertainty as a vital part of growing up.