Slovenia’s Oscar pick Little Trouble Girls, directed and co-written by Urška Djukić, is a quiet, emotional coming-of-age story that explores faith, temptation and identity. It follows 16-year-old Lucia, who joins a Catholic school choir and becomes close to the older and confident Ana-Maria. During a choir retreat at a convent, Lucia’s attraction to a restoration worker begins to shake her faith and her friendship, opening deep questions about morality, desire, and belief.
Djukić builds her film with tenderness and calm observation. The camera lingers on faces, candles, and quiet corridors, making the convent feel both sacred and suffocating.
The film moves through strong contrasts: innocence vs experience, sin vs pleasure, guilt vs need. It tells a story that has been told before, one we also lived, thoughts we went through. What makes it special is how gently it captures that in-between age when faith and curiosity pull in opposite directions.
The two girls’ friendship becomes a mirror for Lucia’s confusion. She looks at Ana-Maria with admiration while her own desires start to feel like a betrayal. The retreat becomes a quiet battlefield between what she believes and what she feels.
There are moments, however, when the film feels slow. The constant singing, though beautiful, becomes repetitive and takes away from the emotional tension. The music teacher scene that echoes Whiplash feels out of place and unnecessary. These moments distract from the otherwise intimate and focused storytelling.
Yet beyond those small flaws, this is a poetic and human film. Djukić offers a touching portrait of a girl caught between purity and discovery, between the comfort of faith and the thrill of wanting more. It lingers like a whisper, it’s honest, soft and deeply personal.