Dreaming of escape from the bleakness of their industrial Lithuanian hometown, two thirteen-year-olds, Marija and Kristina, form a unique bond at a local modeling school. But the promise of a better life pushes girls to violate their bodies in increasingly extreme ways.

A Locarno prizewinner, Saulė Bliuvaitė’s debut feature is as unsparing as measuring tape and as sharp as high heels. Looking at an exploitative fashion industry through the gaze of determined teenagers, Toxic is a visually striking portrait of girls zigzagging between competition and friendship.