Girls’ Stories

Jagoda and Zuzia giggle in the opening scenes in the way that only 11-year-old girls can. Together they are the center of their own changing world. On the face of it, not much happens in the lives of these Polish best friends, but big changes are on the way. The end of primary school is in sight, and the girls are impatiently awaiting first love, budding breasts and first periods.

They philosophize, sometimes with surprising maturity and irony, about their parents, their future, and the ups and downs of school. With the arrival of pimples and new insecurities comes rebelliousness, rolling eyes and the realization that the expectations of girls compared to boys are sometimes unfair.

This coming-of-age documentary, recognizable to many, is told entirely from the perspective of the two eloquent girls, both together and individually. They interview adults in their families, asking confrontational questions about choices in life and love. These unfiltered slices of life are light-heartedly punctuated by short stop-motion jokes.