Girls State

Can we please keep getting these documentaries?! I don't care if we revisit Boys or Girls state, I just need more! I LOVED Boys State from 2020, and so when I discovered this was coming, I instantly added it to the watchlist. Furthermore, when I learned earlier that it was released today I knew right away what I'd be watching tonight.

Girls State has many similarities to Boys State but many differences! For the most part, I felt like it was pretty neutral to politics. You get a good mix of girls from both political platforms, I do think the documentary leans a little more left, but I think that's also just the nature of the movie industry in general. One thing I've found to love about these docs though is regardless of the person's political affiliation, I'm always so invested in their story!

This one really had me invested in Emily and Nisha, though there wasn't one girl I disliked following. The doc points out a lot of problems with gender inequality and does it in a way that doesn't put down either gender, but acknowledges the issue and looks to the future of women leadership optimistically.

There are female-empowerment speeches that were better than anything you'd hear in the Barbie movie, and they're literally from high schoolers. I may not have agreed with every topic discussed, but just like Boys State, I was glued to my screen from the start. Please seek both these documentaries out!!!

Boys State was - to me at least - a little terrifying. It doesn't help that I'm not American, and that for some years I've been of the view that patriotism is usually dangerous. Whilst the film wasn't without some boys who made me a little hopeful, it wasn't a film that has left me feeling hopeful.

Coming to Girls State, it's hard to shake the feeling of a little tokenism, a little that this was a project riding the coattails of the former film's success. I don't know how much of that is true, and it's hard not to see this in the shadow of Boys State. The film itself actively encourages that - much of the first act sees the girls complaining that they don't spend much time talking politics on the programme and complaining about inequities between the boys' and girls' events (in the year this was filmed, taking place for the first time on the same campus, at the same time). Whilst the first film spent much of the time focusing on the boys bidding to be elected Governor, the equivalent here is a relatively small part of the story; as much, or more, time is given to the assembly's Supreme Court, and to the young woman writing an article for the newsletter about the inequities. It's all given context by the uncomfortable reality that over the week of the assembly news was breaking in the 'real' world of the leaked Supreme Court decision that would go on to overturn Roe vs Wade.

Parts of it scared me once again. The unaccompanied girls singing a patriotic song might be inspiring to many Americans, but to me felt chillingly cultlike. I'd have loved both films to have critiqued this more; and how the apparent majority of girls who disagreed with that infamous Supreme Court ruling felt they could sing that song with a clear conscience. And whilst all the words of empowerment and envisioning are present and correct, it's hard to shake the feeling that whilst Boys State prepares boys to govern, Girls State exists to give girls a cruel glimpse of something that will be shut off to many of them - or at least much harder for them to reach.

The closing credits play out to Taylor Swift's 'The Man, which under the circumstances feels apposite. I'm not clear what story the film-makers are wanting to tell here, but that may be the film's most important point. As a pair, these films are quite the double-bill.

The question comes around of What would the United States look like if it was in the hands of the modern generation and youths? Having enjoyed Boys State, Girls State is a good companion piece that offers an interesting insight to the American politics from the perspectives of Gen-Z with some interesting discussions, bright personalities from the main participants and throughout-provoking themes that fit emotional, interesting and insightful.

While the documentary does have some lacking features such as some of the presentation quality and odd sound designs, Girls State achieves of what the America system could be seen and handled in the Gen-Z generation. Filmmaker Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine are able to capture the realistic and nature perspectives of youth and politics mixed together without biases nor messes.

Having watched Boys State and Girls State back-to-back on consecutive days, I was surprised how different the films were. The young men in Boys State often come across as entitled, especially in their entrenched views regarding 2nd Amendment rights and abortion. Much of what is featured in that movie is pure politicking, saying and doing whatever is needed to win office, independent of the boys' actual beliefs or without regard to the consequences. In Girls State, the young women are forced to go through far more trivial rituals and follow set rules, which prevents them from actually dealing with issues for the first part of the movie. However, when they finally get past those hindrances, the students are much more serious and thoughtful about the issues, which leads to some great scenes, especially the Supreme Court case and the three featured Governors' speeches. In the end, I found myself caring much more about the young women in Girls State than the young men in Boys State. Girls State also left me much more hopeful about the future of the U. S. A. Than the male version. Even so, these are both excellent, thoughtful, enlightening movies and I would recommend them both. Do yourself a favour and watch both movies. It will be more than worth your time.