Director Ania Winiarska Explores Life Inside a Polish Girls' Correctional Center

Director Ania Winiarska nearly abandoned her documentary film "Good Girls" after facing unexpected hurdles trying to gain the trust of teenage girls inside a correctional center in Poland.

Behind the Camera

Winiarska spent six months feeling like she had hit a wall during production. Unlike her previous films focusing on boys and men, working with teenage girls revealed a deep layer of shame she was unprepared for. It took two years of patience before the residents fully accepted her and told newcomers she was not a snitch. The documentary premieres its clip at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, with international rights handled by Stranger Film Sales and production by Story, Film i Väst, and Tekele Productions.

Inside the Facility

The film explores a Polish correctional institution where girls aged ten to eighteen live under strict discipline and constant surveillance. Some residents escaped abuse at home, while others were sent there for skipping school, drinking, dating, using drugs, or getting pregnant. Many residents suffer from unaddressed mental health struggles, such as depression, that families or schools failed to handle. Winiarska notes that staff members lack proper psychological training, and locking up struggling teenagers causes further damage.

Context

Correctional facilities for youth are designed to help young people who commit crimes or face severe behavioral issues, but experts and filmmakers often highlight how underfunded or outdated systems struggle to handle complex mental health needs. Poland and many other countries still grapple with rigid social expectations of how young women should behave, leading to harsh punishments for minor infractions or personal struggles.