GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS

In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, a model student, 16-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi in a radiant debut performance), despite her ambition and primness, is overcome by desire and romance when she falls for a new student, and steals away with him to flirt and stargaze. Her rebellious sexual awakening triggers complicated feelings in her protective, unfulfilled mother Anila (Kani Kusruti, also starring in this year’s ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT), creating a bizarre yet captivating love triangle of sorts, invoking both thrill and embarrassment along the way. Writer-director Shuchi Talati presents her story with frankness and sensitivity, illustrating the complexity of emotions that arise when females navigate love, desire, and identity. GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS won two prizes at this year''s Sundance Film Festival: the World Cinema Drama Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Acting for Panigrahi.