Kaj ti je deklica

competition programme Perspectives

"Secrets, intimate desires, deception, confessions: this Perspectives film explores a kaleidoscope of emergent awakenings as driven by an evocative sensory experience and epitomised by its exceptional opening scene. The filmmaker beautifully portrays the struggles of a teenage girl stepping into adolescence—the push and pull of sexuality and societal restrictions—through excellent cinematic expression. For this portrait of the eponymous “little girls in trouble” crafted in an imaginative and oneiric way, the FIPRESCI Jury Award for the inaugural Perspectives section goes to Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić."

Youth Award (TEEN Spirit), in amount of 1,500 euros, offered by McDonalds

Any individual liberation from social constraints takes place through a combination of recognising one’s own differences and finding common ground in the form of friendships. In Urška Djukić’s world, complex relationships are depicted in a cinematically balanced portrayal of the critical period of adolescence caught in the whirlwind of physical excitement and the allure of transcendence. For these reasons, we present the critics’ award for best Slovenian feature film to Little Trouble Girls.

Montenegrin: Nježna, duboko humana priča odrastanja ‘Dobre djevojke / Little Trouble Girls’ režiserke Urške Đukić nam takođe pruža i lekciju za sve generacije. A to je, da ništa i nikad nije konačno, da smo svi na neki način ‘radovi u toku’ i nedovršeni. Bez obzira na to koliko smo stari. Dopali su nam se i impresionirali nas glumački performansi, izuzetna ekonomičnost scenarija, ali i – suštinski – zaista svi ostali filmski elementi. Uključujući i najmoćniju poruku filma: niko i nikad nema pravo da vas ućutkuje, da vam glas utiša.

Thanks to its distinctive cinematic language, building on careful interweaving of acting, sound, and camera work, Little Trouble Girls offers a unique aesthetic experience. By giving an insight into the existential complexity of adolescence, the film compellingly and thoughtfully unfolds a wide range of eternal themes – from friendship, love, and sexuality to solidarity and betrayal. The empathetic perspective consistently developed by the film opens up space for the organic coexistence of humour and seriousness, love and contempt, hope and fear.

Editing by Vladimir Gojun in the film Little Trouble Girls emphasises the nuances of verbal, and especially nonverbal communication between the main characters in a subtle way, building on their relationships through silences, gazes, and absences. His precise rhythm also establishes a delicate balance between the girls and the nature surrounding them, contributing to the poetic atmosphere and layers of the film.

The award for Best Actress in a Leading Role goes to Jara Sofija Ostan for her extraordinarily subtle portrayal of a young woman’s inner transformation. With little dialogue, which relies heavily on looks and gestures, Jara Sofija Ostan conveys a complex range of emotions – from fragility and shame to liberation and self-awareness. In her first role on film, Ostan captures, with outstanding authenticity, the contradictions and emotional complexity that give the film its profoundly human and authentic character. Characterised by grave honesty and emotional power, her acting is the film’s central pillar.

The award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role goes to Mina Švajger for her role as Ana-Marija in Little Trouble Girls. Although powerful and attractive, her performance makes room for the lead actress to develop her complementary role. Throughout the film, Mina Švajger continues to surprise and deftly reveal new nuances of Ana-Marija’s personality. Her acting energy drives the emotional transformation of the main protagonist, adding layers of intensity, sensuality, and unpredictability to the film.

The award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to Saša Tabaković for his both subtle and powerful rendering of an authority embodying social and generational pressures in Little Trouble Girls. Tabaković portrays the antagonist without patronising or judging him, thus allowing the audience to relate and understand his inner conflicts. Saša Tabaković crafts his supporting role with a perfect dramatic arc in which every movement carries meaning and emotion.

In a film about a girl discovering her voice, sound designer Julij Zornik masterfully used a soundtrack of subtle noises to highlight, through sound, the protagonist’s emotional awakening. Whispers, breathing, clothes rubbing against skin, and barely perceptible sounds become a narrative element equal to the picture. Zornik is awarded for an acoustic landscape that we not only hear with our ears but also perceive with our bodies.

Slovene: Žirija z veseljem podeljuje posebno omembo debitantki Jari Sofiji Ostan za njeno očarljivo igralsko stvaritev Lucije v filmu Kaj ti je deklica režiserke Urške Djukić. Jara upodobi dekle na pragu ženskosti, ki išče pot skozi motno pokrajino identitete, želja in potrebe po pripadnosti. Njena igra je izjemno subtilna, usmerja jo močan notranji monolog, ki brbota tik pod površjem. Čustva se graciozno pretakajo skoznjo – včasih jih sproža svet okoli nje, včasih spremembe v njej. Hrepenenje po povezanosti z drugimi dekleti in zapleten odnos z učiteljem odsevata v njenih očeh, molku in mirnosti. Igralska kreacija Jare Sofije Ostan spaja čustveno inteligenco in zadržanost obenem ter napoveduje razcvet obetavne mlade igralke.

Allowance of 10.000 eur in-kind in image and sound post-production.

Film Kaj ti je deklica (Little Trouble Girls) režiserke Urške Djukić s svojo intimno, a hkrati univerzalno pripovedjo presega meje osebnega ter odpira širša vprašanja telesnosti, identitete in dekliškega odraščanja. Na subtilen in liričen način razpira svet šestnajstletne Lucije, ki se skozi cerkveni dekliški zbor sooča s prvim zavedanjem lastne želje, religiozno krivdo in družbenimi omejitvami. Posebej izstopa mojstrska vizualna podoba, ki se s prepletanjem glasbe in zvočnega sveta razvija v bogato atmosfero in večdimenzionalen prostor, prefinjeno povezan z notranjim doživljanjem protagonistke. Djukićeva mojstrsko prepleta intimne detajle – bližnje posnetke telesa, barve in glasove – z močno simboliko, ki izraža napetost med svobodo in represijo. Spoštljiv, a obenem drzen pristop premišljuje telesnost in duhovnost kot soodvisni dimenziji ter gledalca povabi k razmisleku o lastnem odnosu do notranjih procesov odraščanja in univerzalnih vprašanj svobode.