Laurence Anyways

Laurence Anyways is a 2012 Canadian romantic drama film written, edited, and directed by Xavier Dolan. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival where Suzanne Clément won the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress. The film also won the Queer Palm Award at the festival. The story of an impossible love between a woman named Fred (Frédérique) and a transgender woman named Laurence (then living as a man) who reveals her inner desire to become her true self: a woman. Set during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the story spans a decade, chronicling the doomed love of Fred and Laurence, as well as the trials and tribulations that they face. Where Dolan's earlier film Heartbeats (2009) borrowed some of its style from the work of director Wong Kar-wai, the visual style of Laurence Anyways has been compared to late-career Stanley Kubrick in its contrast between a naturalistic, almost documentary-influenced way of shooting and Dolan's more visually lyrical passages. At the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, the film won the award for Best Canadian Feature Film. The film also received ten nominations at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Direction for Dolan, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Poupaud, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Clément, and Best Screenplay for Dolan.