GIRLS DON’T CRY
"Girls Don't Cry" tells the story of six teenagers – stories of courage, female resistance, the longing to fall in love and determination to break free and shape their own futures, even in the face of loss and trauma.
The six girls – Nancy, Sheelan, Sinai, Paige, Selenna and Nina – live thousands of kilometres apart, in countries with vastly different life circumstances, educational opportunities and rights for women. Yet they all share the same desire to lead a self-determined life in freedom and equality. They navigate the complexities of adolescence, make bold decisions in challenging situations, fight courageously against brutal traditions and challenge social constraints and pressure to conform. We meet Nancy in Tanzania, who escaped female genital mutilation and now lives in a protective shelter. In South Korea, Sinai rejects conventional beauty ideals and behavioural norms, training hard every day in preparation for the BMX World Championships. In England, 16-year-old Paige raises her baby son, having decided at the last minute not to have an abortion. Selenna, from Santiago de Chile, was born in the body of a boy and today is a passionate activist for transgender rights. Since her deportation from Germany, Nina has been living in a Roma settlement in Novi Sad, Serbia. Meanwhile, Sheelan, a Yezidi girl, has found a new home in Germany.