Girl power at STF

• by Raphaela Neihausen, March 06, 2009

Text taken from Brooklyn Socialite’s blog:

GIRLS LIKE US. This is a great film from the late 90’s that I saw at Stranger than Fiction last night. Oh, how I love STF, I finally found a club that would have me as its member (this is a Marx Brothers reference, if you don’t get it, you can’t join the club!). The documentary made by a lovely lady couple, tracks 4 teenagers from the time they are 13-14 until they are 17-18. The girls, who all live in South Philly, speak candidly about sex, childbirth, their relationships with their family and friends and their goals in life. This film won Sundance back in the day and it’s easy to understand why. Like Trouble the Water it sort of magically captures those tragedies and joys of life, which are often rendered mundane, as people avert their eyes to experiences of “othered” social groups.  The 4 girls, 2 white, 1 black and one South Asian all seemed to struggle to define themselves independently of their relationships with men. While, their parents and guardians strove to keep them on a track towards college and career. 3 of the women, now pushing 30, joined us at the IFC center after for a Q&A. They all seem to have turned out quite well and consider their experience being in the film to have been enriching and not exploitative.

British filmmakers and recent Sundance prize winners Havana Marking (AFGHAN STAR) and Kim Longinotto (ROUGH AUNTIES) stop by Stranger Than Fiction on their way back from the True/False Film Festival.

“My girls” (assortment of high-school and college friends) - immigration consultant Daria Campion, journalist Elizabeth Mendez Berry and director of programming for The Cordoba Initiative Courtney Erwin.

Publisher Colin Robinson, director of Women Make Movies Debra Zimmerman and filmmaker Kim Longinotto.

Dear friends Cydcharise Goler and Julie Asher.  More girls like me!

Filmmakers Jessi Epstein and Robin Hessman (visiting us from Boston).

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