East End Film Festival: Blue My Mind

Blue My Mind
Directed by Lisa Brühlmann
Starring Luna Wedler, Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen and Regula Grauwiller
Screening at EEFF April 21st, 2018

by Bernie C. Byrnes

I don’t know anyone who enjoyed puberty – it’s a pretty tough time. For 15-year-old Mia, her periods usher in an overwhelming transformation, which calls her entire existence into question. Her body is changing radically, and despite desperate attempts to halt the process, she is soon forced to accept that nature is far more powerful than her.

Change and unfamiliarity run throughout the film, as do the references to water. Mia’s apartment complex is still under construction, and she and her new group of friends are constantly, restlessly on the move. New experiences wait round every corner and these girls are out to try it all.

Blue My Mind is a rite-of-passage film done in teen horror style, but it’s way more than just that. As allegories go, this one is pretty special. Hats off to Julia Heppner for some genuinely sickening special effects make-up. Luna Wedler (Mia) and Zoe Pastelle Holthuizen (Gianna) turn in sophisticated performances showing skill and talent that actors twice their age often never achieve.

If you’ve ever really wanted to know what it feels like to be a teenage girl, see this film. If you went through all that already, see this film. Lisa Brühlmann gets you, she knows how it feels. If you have a teenage daughter, it’s ok that you want to throw them out of the house most of the time. Growing up is traumatic. Blue My Mind is as refreshing as a dip in an icy lake; just don’t spend too long in the water.