Young Lithuanian cinema is slowly preparing for its global breakthrough, and debutant director Saulé Bliuvaité is leading this movement with her outstanding film “Toxic”, which rightly won the Golden Leopard in Locarno this year. At first glance, the film looks like a coming-of-age drama about teenage girls in the dreary Lithuanian province. But even the ambiguous title hints at the complexity of a poisoned world. The story follows 13-year-old Marija (Vesta Matulyte), who is sent to live with her grandmother in a small Lithuanian town where the bleak industrial backdrop is dominated by cooling towers and high-voltage pylons. Marija's status as a newcomer and her physical disability make her the victim of bullying. She meets the wild Kristina (Ieva Rupeikaite), with whom she gets into a fierce, surreally exaggerated fight over a pair of jeans. This negative energy soon develops into a deep friendship between the girls, who try to build a modeling career and slip into a maelstrom of bulimia and violence as a result. “Toxic” is a vibrant film that captures the fears and dreams of today's teenagers in Eastern Europe, while also highlighting the challenges they face. Director Saulé Bliuvaité, who draws on her own teenage experiences, shows that she has the talent to handle these complex issues with sensitivity and respect. Certainly the most important film debut of the current cinema year.