Hairy Legs

Hairy Legs, an animated short film, documents a 13-year-old girl’s small yet life-changing act of rebellion. Deciding not to shave her legs opened Halifax filmmaker Andrea Dorfman’s eyes to the roles and rules women are supposed to live up to. Challenging these expectations and celebrating her hairy legs, Dorfman becomes her true, free self.

Filled with charm, warmth and humour, the 16-minute film captures the universality of girls exploring gender and curiosity as they evolve—from spending carefree days careening down the streets on their bicycles to defying stereotypes that threaten to diminish their determination to be who they are.

Through endearing stop-motion puppets combined with hand-painted classical animation, all tied together with a bold and saturated palette, Dorfman explores art as a tool to process experiences. With wit and wisdom, she depicts her own personal journey towards self-expression, non-conformity, kindness and acceptance, as she battles the myths and stereotypes that every girl and woman must grapple with.

An award-winning filmmaker of live-action features and animated shorts such as Flawed and Big Mouth, Dorfman uses her latest work to illustrate how her initial ambivalence towards her hairy legs empowered her to challenge other rules within society, including the dogmas around gender, femininity and being yourself.