Beyond Barbie

Writer Isabel Cristo describes the essence of girlhood as a “before time,” untouched by the weighty choices of adulthood — marriage, careers, caretaking. Though often disrupted by reality, girlhood remains a space of unfiltered potential, free from feminism’s historical burdens. Cinema has long confined it to familiar narratives, typically shaped by a girl’s longing for male validation. This series seeks to redefine coming-of-age narratives about girlhood by showcasing films made mostly by women filmmakers from across the globe whose work challenges conventions and is united in their shared focus on a girl’s desire to know and express herself. By foregrounding a protagonist’s self-discovery and agency, these narratives insist that a girl’s psyche — no matter how wounded or raw — is worth exploring. Infused with rare, aching empathy, they illuminate feminine characters whose multi-dimensional stories have too often been absent from cinema. Through them, girlhood emerges as complex, vibrant and inherently cinematic.

Series programmed and notes written by Public Programmer Beandrea July.

Special thanks to our community partners: Film Fatales, UCLA Center for the Study of Women | Barbra Streisand Center, UCLA International Institute.