Keswick Film Club - Reviews - Little Trouble Girls

Last week's film from Slovenia, 'Little Trouble Girls', is the first feature film from director Urska Djukic who had previously made prize-winning shorts. It is the story of a group of young teenage girls aged 16 who form a choir and go on a trip to rehearse at a convent with their male choir-leader. The musical sound-track and the camera work of the young choir is beautifully done. The title is from a song by Sonic Youth about being 'bad inside'.

We were given a sense of the Catholic conservative regime our heroine Lucia has been brought up in when her mother shows disapproval at sex on the TV and tells her not to use lipstick.

Once away at the convent, the film focused on the friendships between Lucia and the more confident Ana-Maria, games of truth and dare, and the girls' fascination with a group of contractors working at the convent. Lucia foolishly confided secrets to the choir-master who then revealed her secrets, making Lucia lose confidence and the other girls abandon her. He choir-master then bullied her in front of the choir.

In the end though she is free and was shown happily enjoying a different life.