Being 14 (ATOM Study Guide)

Being 14 (2015) is a French feature film written and directed by Hélène Zimmer.

Fourteen-year-old Sarah (Athalia Routier), Louise (Najaa Bensaid) and Jade (Galatéa Bellugi) are friends. As they embark on their final year of middle school in suburban Paris, the girls become caught up in the anguish of adolescence. The experience of being fourteen challenges their sense of self and tests their friendship.

Sarah is rebellious and reckless. She lurches from one risk-taking situation to the next, and almost does not survive her destructive behaviour. Louise's relationship with her mother is strained. She leaves home and moves in with her grandmother. Jade is forced to find new friends when she falls out with Sarah and Louise. The allegations about her promiscuity are hurtful and see her shunned by her peers, male and female alike.

Hélène Zimmer is a writer and actor. Being 14 is her first feature film.

Curriculum Links

Being 14 is suitable for students in Years 11–12. Teachers are advised that Being 14 contains portrayals of teenage sex and explicit discussions of sexual behaviour, underage drinking and illicit drug use. The film also contains coarse language.

Being 14 is a relevant resource for meeting learning outcomes in studies of English, French, Health and Human Development, and Media.