Girls Will Be Girls

A passionate teenage romance at a strict boarding school leads to a fierce confrontation between mother and daughter in a powerful and well-acted feature film debut from the Himalayas.

In a small, misty mountain town in northern India, the 16-year-old model student Mira embarks on a relationship with the new, exciting boy at school. Something that is considered inappropriate both during school hours and in their free time. Under the pretext of studying together, they can still meet at Mira's home, where her mother Anila keeps a watchful eye on the young couple. But soon, Mira finds an unexpected rival for her secret boyfriend's attention in her own mother. Girls Will Be Girls is a strong and sensitive film about a young woman's rebellious sexual awakening in a patriarchal society, and how mother and daughter will be pitted against each other. A very impressive debut by Shuchi Talati.

• Johan Blomqvist