Interview: Amy Weber talks about “A Girl Like Her”

I was lucky enough to chat with the director and writer of the film “A Girl Like Her” and tackle the issue of bullying and suicide. If you didn’t know already, “A Girl Like Her” is a documentary-style drama that focuses on two girls who have more in common than they realize. The main character, Jessica, is constantly bullied at school by the token mean girl, Avery. However, things get a little out of hand when Jessica decides she just can’t take it anymore. There may be a few spoilers ahead, so fair warning.

Weber has tackled numerous teen issues in the past, but one thing that she noticed is that a common trend with young adolescents is the topic of bullying and suicide. So she wanted to do something a bit different from what’s been done before and give us more perspective. “Kids don’t have a safe space to be themselves. I made this movie for all the kids. I wanted to give the film an authentic voice,” said Weber, when asked why she decided to focus on bullying and suicide.

It’s obvious that we’ve been hearing a lot more about suicide and bullying these days than ever before. Perhaps it’s because technology has given us more exposure, but one this is for sure, bullying today is not taken as lightly as it used to be. “The days of the ‘schoolyard bully’ are over. You don’t get to escape the bully once you’re home and away from school anymore because of the internet”, Weber continues to give us more insight on the topic “the internet has opened a new type of bullying that we cannot control; we can’t control the internet.” She finished off by stating something we’ve said numerous times daily, but never about bullying, “the internet has changed everything”.  It surely has.

The film has an interesting take on the teen world. We get a little insight as to what the smart kids do with their free time, where the ‘mean girls’ hang out and how diverse the student population really is, no matter where you are. We also get a peak at the bully’s home life, which is something we don’t usually see. When asked why she decided to show more about the bully, Weber is quick to admit it was the driving force behind the film. “I did this film for that exact reason. The victim is a huge component and I know she needs help, but I believe with my whole heart that we will never solve this issue until we know why it is actually happening,” she said. “We need to go directly to the source. We learn about their life and what’s going on in it. Once we identify what’s wrong and realize that it’s pain and really a mental health issue, we can combat it with compassion and understanding. That can lead to healing.”

Weber admits that one of the main ideas of the film is “the only way to save a victim is to hear the bully”. We asked her about Avery a lot, as she seemed like one of the more complex characters and she had no issues defending someone who would normally be known as a ‘villain’ in real life. “It was two fold,” she said “Maybe even genetic. I don’t believe she was born a mean girl, I believe she was taught to be one.” Weber continued to talk about Avery’s home life stating “She had a role model at home who taught her how to gain control by controlling others and belittling and demoralizing others”. We finished off with the topic of Avery by stating a simple fact, “she was a victim in her own home”.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the film is that it didn’t only focus on the victim, but it delved deeper by showing you the point of view of the bully. Granted, bullying is never the answer and isn’t really justified. However, just because behavior is not justified, it doesn’t mean it can’t be understood and that’s what Amy S. Weber portrayed so wonderfully in this film. I recommend it, 100%. It will teach you a few things, but most of all to be more open-minded and understanding about what adolescents deal with today. Contrary to popular belief, they are not invincible because they’re young, wild and free, but they sure are vulnerable. They can be torn down as quickly as they are built up and that is something that should never be forgotten. “A Girl Like Her” really changes up the docu-drama genre and is really making waves. Check out the trailer below and make sure to catch the film at your local theater.