The documentary Boys State premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was an instant hit. The film follows a group of teenage boys in Texas attending the annual week-long camp funded by the American Legion in which they are able to build their own government from the ground up. The week culminates with the election of the highest political position available: Governor. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Boys State filmmaking duo, Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, are back with a companion documentary of sorts, Girls State.
The format and structure of Girls State is largely similar to its predecessor. The story follows girls from all different walks of life attending the camp but soon zooms in its focus on a handful of them to root for. There are the usual awkward and strained conversations between the more liberal and more conservative girls, but this year something is a little different. Both the Boys State and Girls State programs are being held during the same week on the same college campus in Missouri. This is the first time this has ever occurred since both programs began. Filmed during the summer of 2022, the environment is also rife with tension due to the leaking of the Supreme Court’s draft of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade a month prior to the start of camp.
A heavy emphasis was placed on the tight race for Governor in Boys State, and while that election is also shown in Girls State, the filmmakers have allowed us to see other coveted government positions such as Attorney General and the selection of Supreme Court Justices. The latter being the most focused on. Even with all of these things occurring, there is immediately a different atmosphere and vibe to Girls State. Girls are busy being shuffled around and figuring out which position they might want to run for, but we also see them frequently gathered in groups with camp leaders talking to them about rules and how to conduct themselves. All of the girls are herded onto the football field immediately within a few hours of arriving where they learn a song and an interpretive dance to accompany it, and it’s painfully obvious things are quite different from the Boys State program.
A restless energy pulses throughout the film, but instead of it being because of the exciting election for Governor like in Boys State, it is due to irritation and disappointment as the girls realize their program is falling short of their expectations. It’s easy for them to compare and contrast with the ability to observe the boys right next door and later being able to talk to them during an end of camp party on the football field.
Grumblings of discontent begin to emerge as one of the girls can be seen rolling her eyes while a camp leader urgently presses that all girls are to use the “buddy system” if they want to go anywhere outside the buildings. There is a strict dress code that will be enforced–namely, the girls are expected to dress modestly. Many scenes take place while the girls are eating or lounging around excitedly talking, and just when you might be wondering, “When are they supposed to be building this government or debating political issues?,” someone on screen exclaims, “Nobody talks about politics here!”.
An overall theme of misogyny and gender disparity in government begins to emerge in the documentary. McBaine and Moss chose the best possible time to film with the two programs coinciding and are able to get their point across effectively. The stark differences between the two programs are undeniable–so much so that they infect the girls’ overall experience of the program. A sobering moment occurs when the girls visit Boys State to watch their Governor-Elect be sworn in at a large assembly with major fanfare by an actual member of government. The pain in their eyes is evident as they realize that it’s still only boys who are seen as the future of America’s government. This is why Girls State is lacking in funding, corroded with archaic patriarchal thought, and is not taken as seriously. It is a realization that many women and minorities will unfortunately have in their lifetimes: they are still seen as less than in the eyes of their own country’s government.
There are luckily still points of levity injected throughout the documentary. A scholarship is awarded by the end of the week (which we can safely assume is significantly less money than the boys’ scholarship), and there are plenty of moments of sweet and uplifting camaraderie amongst the girls. Meaningful friendships are formed with a great deal of comedic bits, and everyone is consistently focused on lifting each other up—even if that sometimes might hinder heated political thought and debate. Even so, Boys State ended on a more hopeful note while Girls State ends bittersweetly. The audience is left with the ever-present awareness of just how long the road will be until girls are also seen as future leaders and women are taken seriously in government and positions of power.
Overall Girls State is a well-constructed and thought-provoking documentary that shows that girls are not only interested in learning about how their government works but are eager to take an active part in it. Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss strategically balance the parallel threads of the strict patriarchal rules and constructs inside this camp with the current rolling back of women’s rights to bodily autonomy. There are glimpses of inspiration and hope, but even when Girls State has its own documentary, Boys State still casts a long and looming shadow.
Girls State had its World Premiere in the Premieres section of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Directors: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss
Rated: NR
Runtime: 96m
Overall Girls State is a well-constructed and thought-provoking documentary that shows that girls are not only interested in learning about how their government works but are eager to take an active part in it.
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GVN Rating
When I’m not busy daydreaming or having an existential crisis, I can usually be found watching a movie or TV, listening to music or a podcast, or with my nose in a book.
