Bras by Julia Havemann Review
Bras is a short film released about a week ago (as of writing this, July 31st) by Julia Havemann that I stumbled upon on YouTube through the magic of the algorithms. It’s about three tween-aged girls going into a Victoria’s Secret to get a bra as only then, along with getting your period, will they be seen as mature women. It’s a dramatic take on such a silly concept that could only be conjured by the adolescent 12-year-old. And it’s fun about it! The film takes place in 2007 and there were parts that were filmed with a literal cam corder with a montage sequence that showcased pictures that looked like they were taken on a disposable that you’d get in a pack of three at Walmart. Also opening up the short with ‘A Milli’ by Lil Wayne was an instant tone setter.
The short has some sweet tender moments of the girls bonding as well as them being silly and having fun. It’s rare that you get to see tween girls being authentically awkward and that being celebrated rather than ridiculed. It’s also surprisingly relatable. I didn’t grow up as a cis girl, but I find the concept of wanting to feel older when you’re young so familiar. It didn’t necessarily mean that I wanted to wear a bra (that came later 🏳️⚧️), but it meant that I’d be able to have more access to things like PG-13 movies, a bedtime past 8, and deodorant. I remember feeling so excited as an eight-year-old walking into a theater to see Transformers (2007) as a family when I was no where near thirteen (this was especially apparent for my sister who is four years younger than me). The idea of Wanting To Be Older is such a universal feeling many can understand (trying to find that “One Weird Trick” to achieving “maturity”, so to speak).
It’s really funny looking back, especially before social media’s boom, at how as kids we would just believe things that were really just stretched truths and societal expectations. It’s like the same kind of concept of the Kids Next Door believing that adults were the enemy because they force kids to brush their teeth and do their homework. It’s like innocent and trivial but so dramatic and Very Important at that age.
Anyway, this short is fun and a quick little watch. Check it out here if you’re interested !
