In the 1950s, five teenage girls in a small American town form a secret society called FOXFIRE to fight back against the patriarchal violence of their environment. Under the charismatic leadership of Legs (Raven Adamson), a close-knit community emerges, recognizable by a flame tattoo on their shoulders. What begins as an act of self-empowerment increasingly leads the group into illegality – from protests and violence to kidnappings. Laurent Cantet's film adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' novel stays close to the literary original and authentically transposes the plot to 1955. The film relies on an ensemble of young, largely unknown actresses, including Katie Coseni as Maddy, Claire Mazerolle as Goldie, and Madeleine Bisson as Rita. The raw energy and unpolished performances of the actresses lend the film a documentary intensity. FOXFIRE is a feminist coming-of-age drama that captures the anger and idealism of young women in a male-dominated post-war society. Cinematographer Pierre Milon's visual style and Franckie Diago's production design reconstruct the era in meticulous detail. Timber Timbre's music underscores the film's melancholic mood. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012 and was screened at the San Sebastián Film Festival in the same year, where Katie Coseni won the Silver Shell for Best Actress for her portrayal of Maddy.

Keywords

• Best Novels Adaptation
• Canadian Cinema
• Gender
• Just released
• Coming of Age
• friendship
• history
• teen

Actors

• Madeleine Bisson
• Raven Adamson
• Paige Moyles
• Claire Mazerolle
• Michelle Nolden
• Ali Liebert
• Katie Coseni

Director

• Laurent Cantet