Goddess of the Fireflies

When Cat is high, life becomes a warm, poetic rush. First love, first sexual experiences and her parents’ scorched-earth divorce combine to bring the 16-year-old to a turning point. In her new circle of friends, she encounters mescaline, which is known for inducing ecstatic states and soon rules Cat’s everyday routine. Such deep intoxication helps to liberate her from the verbal and emotional brutality of conflicts at home, while her clique provides her with support and diversion. It’s the mid-90s in provincial Canada – punk rock, Kurt Cobain’s suicide and the Mia Wallace look are animating teens to try to get free themselves. Filmed with great immediacy, an unflinching portrait of a maturing rebel emerges, as strong and as weak as a lost goddess. (Berlinale)