Swedish director Mika Gustafson’s Paradise Is Burning follows three sisters ― Laura (16), Mira (12), and Steffi (6) ― as they try to survive the messy rituals of adolescence. After a call from social services threatens their independence, Laura forges a relationship with 30-year-old Hannah in hopes of her agreeing to pretend to be their mother. As the two grow closer, Mira and Steffi are left to handle their own growing pains: Mira’s first period, Steffi’s first baby tooth, and fights between other girls. An intimate portrait of the transition from girlhood to womanhood backlit by a blistering-hot summer break, Paradise Is Burning has the perfect balance of angsty teenage rebellion and tender vulnerability. This film makes me miss the girl I used to be and excited for the woman I’ll become.

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