BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
Queer awakening in New Zealand in the summer of 2006
In the mid-2000s, people write via MSN Messenger, gossip over flip phones, and belly button piercings are trendy. 14-year-old Sid lives in beach-surrounded Ōmaha: she is still inexperienced and gets swept up in the wake of an older clique while struggling with new longings and confusing feelings. Instead of the hoped-for intimacy with her crush, the taciturn teenager finds herself at parties of older boys who only want her body. With a restrained and observant camera and a remarkably authentic lead actress, Paloma Schneideman creates an empathetic portrait of a girl finding herself. (LGR)
GERMAN PREMIERE
NZ 2026. D+SC: Paloma Schneideman. 99 min. Feature film. Original version with English subtitles. Suitable from age 12. Recommended from age 15.
Cinema Tickets for Individuals
FRI, Sept. 25 | 8.45 AM | DFF Cinema
SUN, Sept. 27 | 6 PM | DFF Cinema
Paloma Schneideman
Biography
Paloma Schneideman is a screenwriter, director, and musician from New Zealand. She has worked in the film and music industry for more than ten years. Her works deal with the experiences of women, queer perspectives, and questions of family, intimacy, and identity. With her feature film debut BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY, she explores the ambivalences of queer coming-of-age, aiming to create a space “for recognition, for gentleness, and for acceptance.”
Filmography (Selection)
2022 GATE CRASH (Short film)
2019 MEMORY FOAM (Short film)
2016 MINE (Short film)
Production Company
POP Film
World Sales
Blue Fox Entertainment
