Girlhood

In the darkness, 16-year-old Marieme and her younger sister Bébé extend their arms across the distance between their two beds to hold hands. Their mother is working the nightshift, and their abusive older brother Djibril lurks in the next room. On this night, though Djibril never emerges, Marieme remains desperate to change her life. After she fails eighth grade for the second time, the guidance counselor advises Marieme to attend vocational school. But Marieme has no intention of following in her mother’s footsteps. Instead, she befriends a group of delinquent girls who shoplift and steal money from kids to outfit their extravagant lifestyle. For a while, the camaraderie enlivens Marieme. Her new friends dub her “Vic,” for being “victorious” over Djibril, and she starts dating Djibril’s friend Ismaël. Yet, Marieme still longs for independence, and she will go to any length to get it in Céline Sciamma’s restrained and captivating exploration of GIRLHOOD. (In French with subtitles) – E.B.