It didn’t involve Richard Linklater in any capacity and it didn’t take 12 years to make but Girlhood shares more than a little with its Oscar-nominated near-namesake. For one thing, it’s coming-of-age themes involve a central character – Karidja Touré’s Marieme – trying to make sense of an often-baffling, sometimes plain painful world; for another, music is a key ley line, both in the film and its protagonist’s life. This clip, in which Marieme and her friends soar to a slice of Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’, gives a flavour of both.
Described by Empire as “an empathetic, powerful, almost documentary-like drama”, Girlhood depicts Marieme’s life on a Parisian banlieue. In another time and place you can see her crossing paths with Vinz, Hubert and Saïd from La Haine, but her crew can be an intimidating bunch in their own right. The character is enriched by other relationships, including one with her younger sister and another with a boy who may just steal a heart become guarded by hard teenager years.
Catch it for yourself when Girlhood arrives in UK cinemas on May 8.