If you consider yourself a fan of Lena Dunham’s subtly brilliant film, Tiny Furniture, you need to see Claudia Weill’s Girlfriends, screening Tuesday night only as part of the BAMcinématek film series that Dunham herself curated, Hey, Girlfriend! Lena Dunham Selects. What makes Girlfriends so compelling is the fact that it touches upon the same themes as Tiny Furniture–female friendships, maturing as an artist and woman in New York, and generally figuring shit out–yet it was shot in 1978 New York. Dunham didn’t see the film prior to writing (and directing and starring in) Tiny Furniture, but the resemblance is still remarkable, and the character of Susan, played by Melanie Mayron, is as endearing as Aura’s. The 16mm film–the director’s own copy–will be screened at 6:50 and 9:15, and Weill will be on hand to answer questions at the first screening.
