Shuchi Talati is a filmmaker from India whose work challenges dominant narratives around gender, sexuality, and South Asian identity. We pleased to be supporting her feature film, GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance; but her sexual, rebellious awakening is disrupted by her mother who never got to come-of-age herself.

‘Girls Will Be Girls is set in a conservative boarding school, much like the school I attended, where girls are policed, ostensibly to protect their “virtue.” Despite this, I saw fierce, funny girls and women all around who subverted and circumvented the social and moral codes. In Girls Will Be Girls, I wanted to write about these subversive women who populated my life but never my screens and to expand the narratives that are available to Indian women.’ - Writer-Director Shuchi Talati.

#ReclaimTheFrame screenings + special events:

Regent Street Cinema, London - Tuesday 24 September, 18:15 

In collaboration with Vagina Museum, #ReclaimTheFrame with a post-screening workshop lead by multimedia artist, writer and public health enthusiat, Theeba.

Come and create individual/collective collages from a range of inspiring materials based on Shuchi Talati’s GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS. Experiment with a variety of textures, shapes and colours, as we explore sexuality and experiences related to South Asian girls and women. Feel free to bring your own materials and found objects to repurpose.

Sea Change Film Festival, Tiree - Saturday 21 Septemebr

+ Post-screening discussion with lead actor Preeti Panigrahi, hosted by our Director Melanie Iredale.

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS is presented with Descriptive Subtitles and available with Audio Description. All live event elememts will be live captioned.