A girl's own story

A girl's own story (1984)

Jane Campion

A Girl's Own Story is a 1984 short Australian drama film directed by Jane Campion. Jane was born in 1954 in Wellington, New Zealand. She was born in to the industry, her parents Richard Champion and Edith Hannah were prominent figures in New Zealand theatre. They attempted to build national theatre and produce plays that articulated distinctly national aesthetic. 

Campion has been influenced by many people however, unlike the majority of directors she was not influenced by other directors but instead people from the arts. This includes Joseph Beuys who was a sculptor who created socially and politically charged art which negotiated physical and psychological trauma through irrational mythical imagery. His inspiration can be seen through Campion's focus on physical trauma throughout the movies she has directed. An example of this is the film The Piano in which a character who plays the piano looses the ability due to physical trauma. 

Watching A girl's own story

A girl's own is about three young teenage girls during the 60's, it deals with themes of love, passionless sex and growing up. The film displays these themes through sections of the film which is split for each girls story. The way these themes are shown are realistic throughout the whole film until the very last scene in which one of the girls is singing. The scene is a big contrast to the rest of the film, unlike the rest of the film this scene is not physically happening but it is to show the way the girls are feeling after they have experienced the real mature world for the first time. After seeing the real world they are left cold and alone which is shown by all the girls facing away from each other in the darkness curled up in a ball surrounded by heaters. They are trying to stay warm in a world full of coldness, this is also shown through the lyrics of the song that is played to accompany the scene "I feel so cold".