Filmmaker Statement

I have always been fascinated by girls in their teenage years – the violence, the sparkles, the tears. The intense contrast between magic and pain. In this very personal story, I wanted to explore what it feels like to be thirteen: on the flimsy border between childhood and young womanhood. I was intrigued by the details of the world, the nuance, the intensity, the texture. I am drawn to the primal quality that is fundamental to being a 13-year-old girl. The girls, in this story, like animals, live by the law of the strongest, and form a pack. I wanted to tell a story about bullying from the rarely explored perspective of the mean girl. Working with non-actors to bring this story of friendship and betrayal to life was fundamental to me, and the most enriching part of the process. Their openness, their playfulness and dedication was inspiring. We have a lot to learn from teenage girls.