Because We Are Girls
Because We Are Girls is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Baljit Sangra and released in 2019.[1] The film centres on Jeeti, Kira and Salakshana Pooni, three Punjabi Canadian sisters from Williams Lake, British Columbia who have gone public in adulthood about allegations of childhood sexual abuse by a cousin who frequently babysat them as children.[2]
Because We Are Girls | |
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Film poster | |
Directed by | Baljit Sangra |
Produced by | Shirley Vercruysse Jennifer Roworth |
Written by | Baljit Sangra |
Starring | Jeeti Pooni Kira Pooni Salakshana Pooni |
Music by | Genevieve Vincent |
Cinematography | Vince Arvidson Grant Baldwin Thomas Billingsley |
Edited by | Jessica Dymond Carmen Pollard |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
The film was slated to premiere at the 2018 Vancouver International Film Festival, but the screening was pulled from the festival as the sisters' court case against their cousin was still pending.[3] It instead premiered at the 2019 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival,[4] and had its first screening in British Columbia at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival.[5]
The film received two nominations at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2019, for Best Canadian Documentary and Best British Columbia Film.[6]
References
- Zofeen Maqsood, "‘Because We Are Girls’, a new documentary, talks about an immigrant Punjabi family with a dark secret". The American Bazaar, July 15, 2019.
- Ken Eisner, "A bleak family history unfolds in the NFB's Because We Are Girls". The Georgia Straight, July 3, 2019.
- Craig Takeuchi, "B.C. sexual-abuse documentary Because We Are Girls pulled from VIFF due to legal case". The Georgia Straight, September 21, 2018.
- Jagdeesh Mann, "Hot Docs 2019: The riveting, painful Because We Are Girls shines a #MeToo spotlight on Canada’s South Asian community". The Globe and Mail, April 22, 2019.
- Janet Smith, "DOXA 2019: Trauma turns to sisterhood in Because We Are Girls". The Georgia Straight, April 24, 2019.
- Adrian Mack, "Marriage Story dominates Vancouver Film Critics Circle noms". The Georgia Straight, December 13, 2019.