Young Critics Lab

23 décembre 2025

In the Shadow of Confinement, a Search for Identity: Little Trouble Girls

By Esra Kars

Sixteen-year-old Lucija struggles to reconcile her values as she discovers herself. With her debut film Little Trouble Girls, Urška Djukić won the Grand Jury Award at the 17th Les Arcs Film Festival. In the film, she explores many concepts such as sexuality, friendship, bullying, traditions, religious values, inner conflict, and the illusion of growing up through layered events.

Lucija (Jara Sofija Ostan) begins singing in a church choir. Initially tightly bound to her religious values, Lucia sets out to explore a world whose existence she knows but has not yet experienced, together with Ana Maria (Mina Svajger), whom she meets there. The film opens with a long polyphonic choir sequence. Throughout it, all choristers move like a single body and deliver a truly successful polyphonic performance. Indeed, a person’s five senses are narrated through different people in synchronization. It is precisely at this point that one can say that the sound design of Ivan Antic and Lulij Zornik, the music used throughout the film and the compositions of Kranjcan Lojze are in perfect harmony with the story.

The defining feature of polyphonic choirs is that different voice groups come together to express the same feeling. Throughout the film, the classical rules of the choir concept, such as breathing together and singing as one, are reflected quite successfully. All participants are indeed in harmony with this resonance. Except for one person: Lucija. 

She has not yet discovered herself and is searching for her own voice. Lucia’s search disrupts the choir's synchronization, which represents the religious system and traditions. She is a very lonely character, which is her most important characteristic. She is an only child and her relationship with her family is not very good. Those in her circle of friends have already realized their own sexual orientation, but Lucija has not. 

Above all, Lucia’s loneliness is of religious nature. On one hand, she dreams of (and acts on) things that would be considered sinful. On the other, she tries to act according to her own values. She hears an inner voice that is always praying. This gives her a sense of confinement. So much so that even Lucija’s posture and the way she walks are tense and closed, reflecting this inner depression. As the film addresses the conflict between human desires and spiritual orientation, it is reminiscent of Diary of an African Nun by Julie Dash at times.

The story and the shots are full of intense metaphors and symbols. For example, at the beginning, an image resembling a vagina is seen. Other similar symbols, like a navel, appear throughout the while film. A bee is seen entering the innermost part of a flower and collecting nectar. Similarly, Lucia enters a cave colored with warm lights. There’s also an olive tree – which, according to Christian belief, represents patience despite desires – and flies representing moral corruption. The construction worker, who seems to represent Jesus, also does carpentry work. Lucija and her friend Ana Maria eat grapes, which point to both purification from sin and unrestrained desires. They way they do it is quite original – in this respect, it’s possible to say that Vladimir Gojun’s editing produces a work that’s simultaneous with and harmonious to the screenplay and character transformations.

Throughout the film, Lucija is portrayed as an innocent and sacred virgin. Her choice of clothing, calm demeanor and shy nature make her resemble the youthful Virgin Mary. Unlike other statues, the statue of the Virgin Mary almost resembles Lucija’s facial expression. However, Lucija has not yet menstruated; she has not yet “become a woman” compared to her other friends. She is the pure and clean one, but over time, Lucija feels abandoned. In the scene reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, these two hands belong to Lucija and the Virgin Mary. When Lucia gets a hold of it, the Virgin Mary’s hand breaks. This is because the old, authentic bond between them has been shaken. 

Similarly, the choir conductor played by Sasa Tabakovic – who represents a spiritual guide –becomes increasingly aggressive towards the girl as the days pass. The names in the film are quite striking and consistent with the story. The original title of Little Trouble Girls is Kaj ti je, deklica, which means “What happened to you, girl?” in Slovenian. This also emphasizes protagonist’s transformation. Additionally, the name Lucija is very significant in the Christian faith. Meaning “lux” or “light,” it is associated with spiritual awakening. Another notable name is Ana Maria. This name belongs to the mother of the Virgin Mary; the main representative of the female figure in Christianity. For this reason, it carries a heavy moral responsibility. However, the Ana Maria in the film is quite confident in herself and her desires, which creates a great contrast. In fact, she helps Lucija to discover herself. Therefore, just as in reality, she acts as a protector and guide, albeit in a different way.

What’s confusing about the film is the intense dominance of the female gaze. Although this choice positions the women as subjects, the lack of male characters undermines the film. The women’s perspective on men is particularly limited to their sexuality and quite shallow. The concept of masculinity is rarely explored in concrete terms. Lucija never engages in dialogue with her father throughout the film. All events progress only through the female characters. If the other male characters had been portrayed in a more layered and symbolic way, it could have elevated the film.

Another element as powerful as the storyline is Lev Predan Kowarski’s cinematography. The use of space and light, and the choice of camera shots according to emotion, carry the film to a different dimension. They visualize his associative narrative. In the scene where Lucija masturbates, the focus is solely on her neck. This is because, for the first time, she is using her voice not for her faith, but for her desires. Shortly after this event, when she is expelled – we suspect – from the choir, the only one sound she hears is that of the church bells.

Little Trouble Girls has a highly symbolic, thought-provoking and compact structure. The layers of the characters and the story inspire people who dare to be themselves despite everything. Because a grape that tastes bitter at first can turn sweet over time. As KT Tunstall said in Eye to the Telescope: “Suddenly I see, this is what I wanna be.”