‘Water Lilies’ is an exploration of the ties between love and growing up.
“Existing within a heteronormative world, Floriane feels she has to pursue these men, and this constant push and pull of her relationship with Marie is the central emotional conflict of the film.
Sciamma uses this conflict to explore the intense feelings of love, specifically infatuation. These girls are going through these feelings for the first time — they do not have the vocabulary or reference point on how to deal with the constant ups and downs of the emotions that love can bring. Instead, they perform rituals and use objects to express what they are feeling. [...]
In order to get closer to, and better understand, Floriane, Marie cherishes the items she gets from her. She is given one of Floriane’s medals from her swim competition, which she hugs closely to her chest. Later, she steals Floriane’s trash and brings it home. She examines each item with care: she rolls out a crumpled piece of paper, and smells a tissue. Yet, the ultimate moment that displays her infatuation is when she takes a bite out of a rotten apple from the trash pile.”
. Also see the author’s article on ‘The Fetishization of Queer Women in Cinema’, in which she questions the male gaze and emphasises why it’s important to be inclusive behind and in front of the camera.
