Alli Haapasalo's Finnish film Girl Picture revolves around two best friends, Mimmi and Rönkkö. Rönkkö is heterosexual but Mimmi is not, though the difference in sexual orientation does not have a particular effect on their friendship. As the film begins, Mimi starts a relationship with Emma, a figure skater going through a slump, and Rönkkö embarks on an adventure to find the sexual pleasure she has never truly enjoyed. A commotion arises that might stimulate secondhand embarrassment for some.
As with many recent youth-oriented films, Girl Picture skips the primary concern of sexual orientation and proceeds with the story. The process of the coming-out drama that would lead to Mimi and Emma to think about whether they are homosexual and how they would accept this identity is not particularly important. Instead, what matters are universal topics such as what one should one do when they become a hindrance to their lover’s life.
It is with Rönkkö's story that the film takes a more challenging approach than with homosexuality. Girl Picture is a rare film that naturally and comfortably presents the possibility of the asexuality of the main character. In such ways, the film catches up with the various spectrums that comprise the modern world. [Djuna]