Mariana (15) is trying her best to get by in her Oslo suburb. Things are tense at home with her brother in the army, while her love life and friendship status aren’t simplifying anything.
All Foreigners Keep Their Curtains Closed is a funny drama about adolescence, identity, loss, love and emerging sexuality. The slice-of-life story is about Mariana (15) who grows up in a multi-ethnic part of Oslo's east side, in an environment where girls have to fight for their right to be themselves in a male chauvinist youth universe. Mariana is annoyingly in love with Ali2, the schools fuckboy who is always surrounded by one blonde too many. The new kid in class, David, is given a hard time for being gay. When older brother, Hector, decides to make something for himself, and joins the Norwegian Armed Forces on a mission in Afghanistan, Mariana´s family is left with an emotional hole-in-the-heart. The situation leaves Mariana growing from a typical irresponsible teenager to becoming a strong young woman who starts taking responsibility. She becomes the girl who stands up both for herself as well as for those around her.
Director Ingvild Søderlind about her film
Using teenage girl Mariana’s first infatuation, her longing for her big brother, and her gradual development of empathy for her younger brother, I want to create a film that will make young girls stand up straight and be proud of who they are. All Foreigners Keep Their Curtain Closed depicts a vibrant youth scene in one of Oslo’s multi-cultural suburbs. I grew up in an environment like this myself, and I feel strongly about portraying it with warmth and love, in its true complexity. The story has so many layers; I want humour, gravity, longing, and desire to intermingle and rub elbows in a visually and idiomatically playful movie. Parts will be hilarious, but it should never veer into parody – because I believe that adolescence deserves to be portrayed with depth and understanding. I want the audience to root for Mariana as she gradually changes from someone who goes with the flow into someone who acts consciously and makes a difference. The film also has a clear subtext of feminism, with strong female characters who demand to be respected for who they are, and not be judged for how they look. Our aim is for All Foreigners Keep Their Curtain Closed to be a film that appeals to a large segment of young people — this is a film made to, and for, them. The film is to be accessible while at the same time be intelligent, profound, and vulnerable, and it will speak to all young people, regardless of ethnic origin.
