Love According to Dalva

Dalva lives with her father, whom she loves to no end. But his love for her is not purely parental, as a police raid reveals one evening. Dalva finds herself in a children’s home, where she immediately stands out: She dresses and makes herself up like a grown woman, because that is how her father, now accused of kidnapping and sexual abuse, treated her. A tale of childhood innocence and the yearning for love, this drama portrays the young girl as she comes to terms with trauma – first, her separation from her father, then having to accept the bitter truth about the deviant nature of their relationship. Debut director Emmanuelle Nicot shows an uncommon sense for approaching this serious subject, evocatively presenting us with the child’s persective while giving a voice to those who are not heard. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)