Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? 

Céline Sciamma’s directorial debut Water Lilies (2007) follows three teenage girls as they begin to understand their sexuality and, thereby, their place in the world. A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.

The three girls, Marie (Pauline Acquart), Anne (Louise Blachère) and Floriane (Adèle Haenel) each undergo their individual — and sometimes overlapping — journey of self-discovery, particularly in relation to their sexuality. Marie, a quiet and unassuming girl, shows up to synchronized swim practice one day in support of Anne, her closest friend. While there, she meets Floriane and quickly develops an attraction to the other girl. A friendship eventually blossoms from this, driving a bridge between Marie and Anne, the latter of who thinks that Floraine is trouble. A love triangle of sorts grows between these girls, complicated by François, Floriane’s boyfriend who Anne is also attracted to.