The film begins with a silhouette of a young girl against the background of the skyline and clouds. The girl appears to be singing and dancing along to Britney Spears song ‘stronger’. as the film goes on we learn of the irony within the song. As she has dealt with teen pregnancy aloe and therefore become stronger than she was
This than cuts to a girl talking into the camera, with a strong Manchurian accent with Manchester industrial landscape in the background indicated her location at present. Through Mise-en-scene we are able to identify she is of a working class family. However throughout her monologue we learn that she wants to move away from this life style and make something of herself. Within the film we learn that she has a real passion for singers, her opening line was ‘If Jesus were alive today he’d probably be a singer’. also on several occasions we witness her singing in several different locations. We see her on a bench singer ‘stronger’ again and on the back of a bus with her friends singing ‘Oops! I did it again’ also by Britney Spears. Both of these songs connote purity and innocence and she was pretty young when she wrote them but it depends on the context of when you watch the video as some people may just say it symbolic due to lyrics used.
There are several jump cuts whilst she is talking non-stop about her relationship with her mum and dad, her life, stardom and singers. Showing her irrational behaviour as she is speaking quickly and randomly from one point to another. But at 13 most kids are like this and possibly because she has no-one to talk to about things , which is also shown through the ending of the film.
Her monologue is constantly being interrupted and intercut with several different scenes with her family and dad. In which we witness her asking her father if she can live with him but he says he is too busy . Highlighting issues which also presents themselves at the end of child neglect, but is also gives us insight into how she has managed to keep her pregnancy to herself. Her whole monologue manipulates the audience into her life and helps them empathise with her.
Next we hear her retelling a story emotionless about when her mother drowned their puppy in a canal after she found out the girl had been secretly hiding it for 2 days. Towards the end we are introduced to a shocking scene in which she says ‘she has become good at hiding things’. showing she has become wise beyond her age. She than throws a plastic bag which she has been carrying around into the canal. An underwater shot shows a newborn baby sinking into slowly towards the canal bottom.
The film ends with the plastic bag floating along the canal as the girl is walking away. Highlighting obviously key theme and issue of teen pregnancy. Although we are not definite the baby is hers but from everything leading up and the documentary style confession we presume its hers. Another issue is child neglect as she has kept this for 9 months and even gave birth without anyone knowing which asks the question why did no one notice?.
