![2020 festival howtobuildagirl giedroyc](http://images.ctfassets.net/3m6gg2lxde82/yiEAHokbEixIkvtul6wOX/a84d55911eafe7e0da9e0f0137a04fdc/2020_festival_howtobuildagirl_giedroyc.png?w=100&h=100&fit=fill&f=faces&q=90&fm=webp)
There aren't that many female coming-of-age movies. But you know what, that is exactly what I found interesting – that there aren't enough. And so making How to Build a Girl was really important, to be in that small list of funny, enlightening or life-affirming coming-of-age films. I have Greta Gerwig to thank a lot for this little list.
![http://aple.tmsimg.com/assets/p14426291_i_h10_aa.jpg](http://images.ctfassets.net/3m6gg2lxde82/5YV0RNqbaZZ037uIMAS0Dz/eaf86922c75cbf3c4aeb791c4536f4bd/http___aple.tmsimg.com_assets_p14426291_i_h10_aa.jpg?w=590&h=332&fit=fill&f=faces&q=90&fm=webp)
It's funny. It's funny, it's messy and it's utterly truthful.
![http://aple.tmsimg.com/assets/p16367922_i_h10_aa.jpg](http://images.ctfassets.net/3m6gg2lxde82/292CU1hIlQQP1A8FGf1OdS/ed99b9e5ae4a90e4ef0f360f78b00bc5/http___aple.tmsimg.com_assets_p16367922_i_h10_aa.jpg?w=590&h=332&fit=fill&f=faces&q=90&fm=webp)
It's "Superbad" for girls, because girls are allowed to behave like total idiots and get away with it.
![http://aple.tmsimg.com/assets/p17008397_i_h11_ab.jpg](http://images.ctfassets.net/3m6gg2lxde82/LJsHdkDoS4BChpBDovrEL/540736eeddc6f754a7f086007c039603/http___aple.tmsimg.com_assets_p17008397_i_h11_ab.jpg?w=590&h=332&fit=fill&f=faces&q=90&fm=webp)
It is the ultimate coming-of-age film: you can be smart and fierce and female.
I loved its quirkiness and its oddity, but I was sad that the female character is punished for having sex. So many films take that course, tell that story.
![Fish Tank](http://images.ctfassets.net/3m6gg2lxde82/1Ht3WY4J4OG3UcPMXP7fNZ/2f6b6df1016a3a77122c7f947aa1aafb/fish-tank.png?w=590&h=332&fit=fill&f=faces&q=90&fm=webp)
"Fish Tank" is an amazing film, but yet again, the central character is punished for transgressing. It's a very powerful film, though. I love it.