Girls Don’t Cry

The six girls – Nancy, Sheelan, Sinai, Paige, Selenna and Nina – live thousands of kilometres apart, in countries with vastly different circumstances, educational opportunities, and women’s rights. 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.

BUFF Malmö 2025
Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival 2025
Zlín Film Festival 2025
BUSTER International Children’s and Youth Film Festival 2025