Girlhood (15), directed by Celine Sciamma

THIS beautifully observed drama about disenfranchised youth in the outskirts of Paris is a classic coming-of-age story.

Its powerful protagonist is Marieme (Karidja Toure) who, in a bid to escape the realities of a violent home life and lack of education prospects, joins a girl gang who hang out in shopping centres, where they take no prisoners.

She undergoes a drastic physical and emotional transformation from a quiet, bullied and virtually invisible teen into a tough, confident and beautiful young woman.

She changes her name and her style, drops out of school and starts stealing to be accepted into the gang of Lady (Assa Sylla).

Some of the most engaging moments of writer-director Celine Sciamma’s docu-style drama see the girls bonding together and blowing off steam, as when they spend the night in a hotel room trying on their newly shoplifted outfits and drinking and dancing to Rihanna’s Diamonds.

All these first-time actors give superb performances as the feisty, no-nonsense girl gang. Toure is truly exceptional, commanding the screen like a seasoned professional.

The girls’ irresistible energy, fierce loyalty to each other and “screw you” attitude to their grim lives is infectious and feels raw and terribly real.

Marieme’s existence plunges to bleaker depths when she turns to the local drug lord and pimp for help in a bid to escape from her tyrannical and vicious brother, who it is inferred may be sexually abusive too.

Her mother works 24/7 as a cleaner so Marieme has to look after her two younger sisters and protect them from their older brother.

Why is her mother unaware? Why aren’t social services involved? Why is Marieme allowed to fall through the social cracks?

Sciamma doesn’t seem interested in answering these questions because the film isn’t a drama about France’s minority working-class areas but an exploration of teenage female empowerment.

The inference is that if you want freedom and independence, then you have to achieve them for yourself.