Bloody, controversial, and confrontational, French director Julia Ducournau’s debut feature, Raw, captures the twisted story of lifelong vegetarian Justine as she enters a renowned veterinary school, which her older sister Alexia also attends. As a part of a hazing ritual, Justine is forced to taste meat for the first time, a raw rabbit kidney. As unappetizing as it sounds, the ritual triggers a rather sinister awakening within Justine. From there, Justine’s cravings for meat become unstoppable, and she eventually develops an appetite for human flesh.

Ducournau’s critically acclaimed French-Belgian body horror drama documents a young girl finding her place in a male-dominant environment while navigating controversial topics such as female sexuality and cannibalism.

The filmmaker’s bold exploration caught the attention of critics, winning multiple awards at numerous festivals around the world, including the Sutherland Award at the London Film Festival, the Louis Delluc Prize for Best First Film, and the FIPRESCI Prize awarded by a jury of the International Federation of Film Critics.

The screening on 7 October will be followed by a post-screening talk on the portrayal of women's coming-of-age and their bodily changes and agency in the horror genre by Dr Sonia Wong, Gender Studies lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The talk will be moderated by M+ Moving Image Assistant Curator Savannah Shiu in Cantonese.

Anda Até Mim (Come to Me)​

Marta Reis Andrade |​ 2016 | Digital | Colour | Sound |​ 5 min​.​

Puberty can be both physically and psychologically confusing for girls, but Portuguese artist and animator Marta Reis Andrade injects whimsy into the experience by depicting menstruation through the adventurous dream of a young girl. Anda Até Mim illustrates menarche—the first menstrual cycle—in simple, contrasting colours of black, white, and red, presenting a whimsical coming-of-age journey that celebrates the intimate changes girls go through during puberty.