As Barbican Young Programmers, we know an essential part of Chronic Youth is to champion and platform films that might not have received as much attention as they deserve. As a collective, we have chosen an all-female director list of films that redefine the coming-of-age genre through challenging convention in spectacular and imaginative ways.
Water Lilies on Amazon
This directorial debut from Celine Sciamma is a heart-wrenching look at first love and a remarkably fresh and moving portrait of what it means to be a teenage girl. Watch the trailer
Atlantics on Netflix
French Senegalese director Mati Diop feature debut focus on those who are left behind by those who migrate in search of a better life. Atlantics is a story of migration from a feminist perspective with spiritual roots. Watch the trailer.
Persepolis on Amazon / YouTube / Google Play
Beginning during the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, this visually striking animated film ties the themes of family, adaptation, oppression and freedom together in an enthralling story of a bold young girl, as she finds autonomy in an unfriendly world. Watch the trailer.
Beach Rats on Amazon / Netflix / YouTube
Eliza Hittman’s searing film examines the contention between queer identity and hyper masculinity, together in the pressure cooker of teenage life in Brooklyn. Watch the trailer.
Mustang on Amazon / YouTube
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s debut tells the story of five teenage sisters growing up in rural Anatolia. Their family’s expectation is for them to get married, turning the house into a “wife factory” as the girls strive for freedom. Mustang is a tale of intimacy and female rebellion. Watch the trailer.
