LITTLE MARY, ALWAYS A VIRGIN

16-year-old Marysia tries to sell her virginity online. She arranges meetings with various men, thinking she can control the situation. However, she's not able to predict everything – most importantly, her own emotions.

Marysia lives in a village with her mum and half-sister Julka. After posting photos online, she receives messages from men and considers selling her virginity. Her bond with Mateusz, Julka's uncle and her childhood friend, becomes complicated. Though Mateusz has a pregnant girlfriend, Marysia feels close to him. She meets several men and chooses one, but flees when he, a doctor, wants to examine her. Ultimately, she decides to have her first time with Mateusz. Their intimacy reveals a deep connection, and for Marysia, it's the start of making her own – wise or foolish – choices.

Main country of production

Poland

Director's note

Marysia is rebellious and independent. She believes that she's able to choose her own path and get where she wants without paying any price. She doesn't want to live like her mother, who, in her opinion, wasted her life by passively waiting for whatever fate would bring, and clinging to a succession of different men.
The film will be a coming-of-age story, depicting the life of the protagonist at a pivotal moment of entering adulthood and losing her virginity.
The relationship between Marysia and her younger sister is also crucial to me. Marysia can see herself in her younger sister like in a mirror; she's both annoyed by her childlike wonder, and simultaneously envious of her courage to speak the truth and expose herself to ridicule.
It is important to me how these three characters - mother and two daughters - perceive their own womanhood. Through them, I want to show how the faces of femininity change from generation to generation.

Producer's note

Anna Jadowska's work has been appreciated both in Poland and abroad. Her films are ambitious and controversial. They have received recognition at international film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival ('Woman on the Roof') and the Stockholm Film Festival ('Wild Roses' – the Stockholm Impact Award).
I value Anna Jadowska's portrayal of women. Both 'Wild Roses' and 'Woman on the Roof' focus on female protagonists in difficult life situations. This serves as a starting point to outline an intimate landscape of women's emotions and struggles.
'Little Mary, Always a Virgin' will refer to her previous 'Wild Roses.' This time Jadowska shifts the focus to the younger generation represented by Marysia, a young girl on the brink of adulthood. Jadowska presents her bond with her mother and younger sister. Marysia is already different from her mother, though. She can fight for herself and her right to explore the world and experience life. There are still not enough of such female protagonists in Polish and European cinema. Our benchmarks for our project are, among others, Andrea Arnold's 'Fish Tank,' 'American Honey,' and the Dardenne brothers' 'Rosetta.'
We'd like to place the editing and sound post-production in France. In Les Arcs, we would also like to find a sales agent for the film. Considering the strength of 'Little Mary, Always a Virgin' script and Jadowska's previous works, the film has a chance to premiere at a class A film festival (Cannes, Venice, Berlinale).

'Little Mary, Always a Virgin' has received Polish Film Institute development support. Since the DOP, Ita Zbroniec-Zajt, is based in Malmö, we got on board the Swedish co-producer – Eliza Jones from Grand Slam. Anna Jadowska also received the Stockholm Impact Award, which guarantees the distribution of 'Little Mary' in Sweden. We are in negotiations with Canal+ Poland. Considering the strength of 'Little Mary, Always a Virgin''s script and Jadowska's previous works, the film has a chance to premiere at a Class A film festival (Cannes, Venice, Berlinale).

Subjects:

coming of age, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, familial relationships, youth, child parent relationships