(July 17, 2010) This morning, I watched Going on 13 on PBS by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and Dawn Valadez, which originally premiered August 30, 2009. This contemporary documentary follows four girls of color living in urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area from the age of nine to their thirteenth birthday. The camera follows each girl at home, with her family members, in her neighborhood and at school.
African-American Ariana lives in a poor area in West Oakland. She enjoys being a tomboy to dreams of being a lawyer. Esmeralda, Mexican-American, deals with self-esteem and talks about her boyfriend. Rosie is mixed-race Latina, deals with a mother who has Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Over time she grows more alienated and uses books as her escape. Isha, an immigrant from India, is caught between her traditional family and exploring teen chat rooms using names she's made up.
Personal interviews with the girls in their natural settings provide a glimpse of their diverse perspectives, insights and personal reflections. They talk about their dreams for the future, sex, what it means to get older, responsibilities and self-esteem.
The film is a rare and intimate look at tweens as they develop in to adolescence and experience changes. Presenting the day-to-day reality of tween girls negotiating life, this film shows the different realities facing contemporary urban tweens. The film's authenticity provides insights into this sometimes confusing and difficult time of life.
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I wish I had picked up on this I would have liked to have seen it - will look for it elsewhere, thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI was intriqued by the film. You can order from the filmmaker's website http://www.goingon13.com/
ReplyDeleteAnd there's a companion interactive website GurlsTalkBack
http://www.gurlstalkback.com/