The first emotional adventures and misadventures of three French teenagers discovering their sexuality. _La Naissance des pieuvres_ is a delicate but thoughtful film that reminds us how influential those precious formative years are in a person's life. Noteworthy, first leading roles for all three main actresses, who show through their performances their great potential.

Like a pre-teen dancing alone at a party, _Water Lilies_ (_La Naissance des pieuvres_) embodies an awkward grace that's impossible not to watch.

Like that dance, it has its flaws and occasionally falls out of step or misses a beat, but like the dancer the film is passionate, pure and welcomes your empathy with open arms.

_Water Lilies_ is Céline Sciamma's first feature length film (it predates _Tomboy_ by 4 years and _Le Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu_ by 12), and is the story of a pubescent girl realizing she's in love with another, older girl

Yet what sets _Water Lilies_ apart from other coming-of-age gay films is the broad spectrum of teen girl issues the movie addresses: there are story lines that touch on body perception, mad passion, slut shaming...

_Water Lilies_ is a stunning first film that heralds the arrival of a voice that is, even at the outset, poetic and passionate at the same time.