NEW YORK — In the summer of 2022, just before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, about 500 high school girls assembled in Missouri for a weeklong pretend government camp. They elected their own governor and formed an all-female Supreme Court to make decisions about their own bodies.
Not everyone had the same political views or beliefs about abortion. But for a few days, their opinions mattered. During that time, documentary filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine decided to make a follow-up to their award-winning 2020 film “Boys State.”
“It felt like we had gone from this sort of — not quite utopia — but this imagined, wonderful world where we had control of our bodies and we were involved in these conversations,” says Nisha Murali, one of the handful of young women followed in the film. “And then it just got ripped away from us.”
“Girls State,” which starts on Apple TV+ on Friday, is, like “Boys State” from 2020, a documentary about a year of elections, where national political discussions are seen and reflected by teenagers coming of age.
“The programs are uniquely sensitive instruments, capturing the frequencies of American political life. It’s not surprising that abortion would be the main topic in that conversation,” says Moss. “We knew the court would hear a particular case. We prayed it wouldn’t be speed limits — which has happened.”
Even before “Boys State” premiered, the filmmakers were considering a “sibling” film. While there are many parallels, “Girls State” is, in compelling and illuminating ways, not exactly like “Boys State.”
The Boys State program, operated by the American Legion since 1935, is more famous and better funded. (Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and Rush Limbaugh are past participants. So is Mark Wahlberg.) The 2020 documentary, which followed the Texas Boys State, aimed to see if the political attitudes of former President Donald Trump had influenced young men. The results were a captivating microcosm.
Missouri teenager Emily Worthmore joined Girls State expecting an experience like she saw in the film. Worthmore, a friendly, ambitious, conservative-leaning young woman from the St. Louis suburbs, arrived ready to participate in passionate political discussions.
“But ours, because of the way it played out, it wasn’t set up for us to be having these big debates and be fighting and all of that,” says Worthmore. “Instead it was like: So why is it like this?”
What Worthmore and others realized was that the Girls State system was not the same as the Boys State on the other side of campus at Lindenwood University. The girls’ program was funded by a different organization, the American Legion Auxiliary, had a strict dress code that some considered too strict and did not organize sports activities the way the boys’ did. There was a camp cheer for the girls but not the boys. The Missouri governor attended the final ceremony at Boys State, but not Girls State.
Just like in many aspects of life, the young women of “Girls State” found themselves pursuing a goal while being acutely aware of the restrictions placed on them.
McBaine thinks one of the strengths of this movie is showing something that's usually hidden but is a part of everything. McBaine is glad that people talk about this after watching the film.
There's a strong connection among the young women in “Girls State,” possibly due to various reasons. The film has tension, disagreement, and competition, but it's characterized more by moments of support. A counselor tells an audience that they have all grown up without seeing a female president.
Before entering 'Boys State,' people expected it to be like 'Lord of the Flies.' It does show competition and conflict, but what's more noticeable, especially in 'Girls State,' is the desire to connect with others, according to McBaine.
Murali doesn't win a seat on the Supreme Court, but she becomes friends with her political opponent. After losing, she talks about the pressure she and others feel to meet expectations, especially their own.
Murali talks about how women often hide their true selves as a defense or due to anxiety. She mentions the pressure to appear competent, knowledgeable, and serious. Girls State made her realize how much of that was genuine.
Worthmore had always won elections until Girls State, where she gains admiration for engaging with everyone. However, her campaign for governor is not successful, and her speech doesn't go as planned. A competitor tells her she doesn't have to be perfect.
Worthmore thinks the conversation with her competitor is one of the most human moments in the story. She admits she needed to hear those words, understanding that while she doesn't need to be perfect, she still wants to avoid making mistakes.
“Girls State” is more about the experience of defeat than political victory. After losing, Worthmore plans to spend her last day at Girls State writing about the differences between the two programs. This act of journalism is as inspiring as anything seen in “Spotlight.”
Worthmore's article and others' criticisms led to changes in the Missouri programs, such as relaxing the dress code and expanding athletic opportunities. Now, boys and girls have classes together.
Worthmore believes the real world has both genders and questions the authenticity of a political system that only involves one gender.
The filmmakers, married and raising two teenage daughters, have spent years in the simulations and are now more convinced that the American political system would benefit from reflecting Girls State.
Moss says that it feels valuable and important. They are concerned that in order to maintain a strong democracy in the future, it is disappointing that they may need to rely on 17-year-old girls. However, it may actually make sense.
Murali, who is now 18, is studying engineering and philosophy at Texas A&M. She is uncertain about her future in politics but is sure that she will stay involved. The experience has left a lasting impact on her.
She says, "I discovered how to handle failure. I learned how to change direction after failing."
Murali adds, "It is meaningful not just to me, but to many of the girls at Girls State who saw these cameras. It is important to know that what you have to say is considered important enough to be recorded."
Worthmore, now 19, is studying communications at Lindenwood. She received a scholarship during Girls State. As a freshman, she has joined a journalism society, a sorority, and is working at the radio station.
She mentions, "I already have a view of the football field from my office."
