In her directorial debut, Polish filmmaker Aga Borzym will delve into the world of adolescence, with all its ups and downs, as experienced by 11‐year‐old Jagoda and 13‐year‐old Zuzia. “We will observe their family, their peers, and above all their very close circle of friends, including boys, and we will get the key to their very fascinating world.”
Herself a mother of two kids, doc debutant Aga Borzym will place the spotlight on adolescence and puberty, that phase of profound transition, in her documentary Girls’ Stories.
“This is when our body, our psyche and our emotions start to change. I remember myself when I was 13 and I got my first period, it was quite a shocking experience. And I know that nobody prepared me for it, feeling ashamed, lonely, and stressed,” the director pointed out.
“Unfortunately such situations is rather typical for girls, even now. I would like to focus on the early stage of adolescence and when many difficult questions arise. This is a very unique moment when everything is so delicate and tangible, I would like to show it [through] the eyes of two girls.”
These two girls are 11‐year‐old Jagoda and 13‐year‐old Zuzia, and the documentary that Borzym promises will be made as much for an adolescent as for an adult audience.
Jagoda and Zuzia’s interests may differ (Jagoda loves animals while Zuzia is altogether a people person) but they are inseparable. Together with two other neighbours and Zuzia’s younger brother, they form a gang. There is no boss within the gang, every voice is important but, as the project notes underline, ‘it’s the girls who are rather alpha’. But the biological clock is ticking and that means hormonal changes, spots and existential dilemmas – and adults aren’t always so supportive…
“I would really like for the viewer to experience the adolescent emotions with them. Starting with the topic of menstruation, which is very important for adolescent girls. I would like to touch more topics related to the changes in the body, that is everything which lies on the borderline between psychology and physiology,” said director Borzym.
“To better introduce the audience to the children’s world the film will feature animations, talking about physiology in a friendly and light way,” she added. “Knowing your body, knowing yourself, emotions and cyclicality gives real power. And that is what I would really love to share with the audience.”
The documentary is budgeted at €168,500, with €128,000 still to find, pointed out producer Agnieszka Rostropowicz‐Rutkowska of Warsaw-based company Pinot Films. Shooting is planned for September 2021 to September 2022, ahead of a January 2023 delivery. At Krakow she was looking for financiers, broadcasters and co-producers.
“As mothers, we have already worked with children teams and we know them very well. And we also see that there are still a lot of subjects worth to be told. And we also see the potential of girls’ stories to appeal to the international audience, not only children and adolescents, but also older viewers like parents and grandparents still remembering their own experiences, feeling nostalgic, and maybe getting to know how the world looks like through the eyes of the children,” said Rostropowicz‐Rutkowska.
