Wild Diamond

'Diamant brut', (2024) is the debut feature film by French director Agathe Riedinger, a work that explores the depths of obsession with beauty and the search for identity in the era of television and social media. Premiering in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, the film offers a raw and unembellished look at the life of a young woman struggling to find her place in a world that reduces her to her appearance.

Liane, a 19-year-old girl, lives in Fréjus, a coastal town in the south of France. Raised in a dysfunctional family environment, with a fragile mother and a younger sister, Liane feels trapped in a life that offers her no opportunities. Her only escape route is her obsession with beauty and fame. Convinced that television and social media are her passport to a better life, she undergoes aesthetic procedures to transform her body and dedicates herself to sharing her life and her choreographies online.

Her dedication pays off when she is contacted for a casting call for the reality show. Although the interview is filled with warning signs about the show's expectations, Liane sees this opportunity as her ticket to fame and acceptance. She buys a shiny, asymmetrical dress for the occasion, convinced that this is her chance to shine.

However, the wait for a response becomes an emotional torture. In the meantime, Liane finds herself caught up in situations that challenge her values and dreams, including a shoplifting incident and a party where she is treated in a degrading manner. These experiences confront her with the reality of her aspirations and the nature of the world she wishes to enter.