When Adam Changes

"I've always said you had a long torso."

Remember those dreadful teenage years? Your parents seemed cringy 24/7, bullies at school were as mean as dictators, managing that big crush of yours was rather depressing, and your body changed for better or for worse. On top of that, the 90s weren't exactly the years of "body positivity" ... Drawing inspiration from the little and low-profile town he grew up in, Canadian director Joël Vaudreuil has crafted a weird and wonderful time capsule with his feature debut When Adam Changes. As a slice-of-life straight from the 90s with oddball characters, dry humour and relatable observations on puberty. It walks a delicate yet entertaining line between iron and sincerity, something which charmed the festival jury in Ottawa, where it won the prize for Best Animated Feature.

15-year-old Adam's life hasn't exactly been one of highlights. And to annihilate any confidence he might have had, his grandmother's final words before collapsing in her hospital bed are a snarling comment on his "long torso", causing Adam's torso to literally extend. It's been this way all his life: whenever his body is mocked, it distorts to reflect the callous remarks of relatives and the targeted vitriol of fellow teens. Yet, his physical transformations are in some ways the least of his worries as he tries to navigate teenage life in 90s Quebec, complete with an impossible crush on a red-haired and party-hard classmate, illegal pool parties, summer jobs, macho films, bizarre dreams, and typical ennui.

Through quirky minimalist designs and backgrounds, Vaudreuil constructs a heartfelt and authentic coming-of-age portrait that resonates with our own memories. When Adam Changes defies expectations by transcending its role as playful and occasionally melancholic tale of self-acceptance - it also retains an ironic, sinister undertone, contributing to its overall sense of absurdity. In many ways, this easy-to-love film mirrors the complexity of our own teenage years.