‘Girls Will Be Girls‘ the directorial debut film of Indian director Shuchi Talati, explores the life of an Indian teenager struggling with the clash between her cultural background and her own emerging sexual needs.
The coming-of-age independent film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won two awards, the World Cinema Drama Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Acting for lead actress Preeti Panigrahi.
Starring in the film are Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Kajol Chugh, Nadini Verma, Devika Shahani, Akash Pramanik, and Aman Desai.
Release Date
Directed by Shuchi Talati, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ opens in theaters on September 13, 2024.
Synopsis
In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, Mira is a successful student shouldering high expectations from her parents and her teachers. But as she wrestles with new desires and ample curiosity inspired by the handsome Sri, she finds herself at odds with the school’s strict rules and her mother’s incessant involvement in her new romance. As Mira strives to escape the watchful eyes of her teachers, mother and fellow students and find time alone with Sri, Mira approaches learning about love with the same dedication that she applies to her studies, resulting in sometimes comic and shocking conclusions. While the film is a beautiful coming-of-age story, the romance between the lead protagonists is a sensitive exploration of female desire that observes how conservative cultures entrap women under strict expectations and norms.
Reviews
Marya E. Gates in a RogerEbert.com review praised the film, writing, “[This] tale of sexual coming-of-age is rooted in the kind of cultural and character specificity that elevates a film past mere premise into something more complex and moving.”
Proma Khosla in an IndieWire review gave the film an A- score, writing, “With her first feature, Talati expertly captures the quiet wonder and aching intensity of adolescence, first love, and caring about someone whose dueling duties and desires sometimes stop them from behaving as they know they should.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘Girls Will Be Girls’.
Theater Listings
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Middlebury, VT
August 21st – 25th
Greenwich International Film Festival
Greenwich, CT
September 5th
DC South Asian Film Festival
Washington D.C.
September 13th – 15th
Film Forum
NYC
September 13th – 26th
Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver, Canada
September 13th – 19th
Nashville Film Festival
Nashville, TN
September 19th – 25th
The Roxie
San Francisco
September 20th – 26th
Screenshot Asia Film Festival
Pittsburgh, PA
September 25 th – 27th
The Nuart
Los Angeles
September 27th – October 3rd
The Main
Minneapolis/St. Paul
September 27th – October 3rd
Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle
September 17th – October 3rd
TIFF Light Box
Toronto
September 27th – October 3rd
The Screening Room
Delaware, MD
Opens October 4th
Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii
October 2nd – 12th
Glendale Theater
Los Angeles
October 4th – 10th
Gene Siskel Theater
Chicago, IL
October 4th – 10th
Mary D. Fisher
Sedona, AZ
October 4th – 10th
The Gateway
Columbus, OH
October 11th – 17th
Philadelphia Film Society
Philadelphia
October 17th – 27th
Fairhope Film Festival
Fairhope, AL
November 7 – 10