Bgirl Badli

“Breaking is freedom, breaking is family. Breaking is just being myself.” Breakdancer Mali is only 14, but she’s already moved to Brussels to attend a dance academy. She’s determined to make all the right moves—in modern dance, ballet and dance improvisation.

This cool b-girl is also an insecure teenager. She has plenty of strengths, but she’s sometimes uncertain too. Does she really belong? Is it all too much, are her muscles up to the job? One thing she knows for sure, though: “I'll make dancing my life.”

Mali’s reflections flow together in voice-over, alternating between observational, energetic and dreamy scenes that give an impression of this key phase in her life. We see her battling with friends on the breakdance mat, learning new steps from a trainer at the academy, lying on the massage table, and hanging out at home with her sister, who she lives with. The montage reflects her mood, creating a portrait in dance moves.