Lila: Eight to Thirteen follows one strong, open, lively girl as she navigates the passage from preadolescence to adolescence. Preadolescense, the pivotal time when puberty begins, is a crucial period which has been often overlooked in coming-of-age films. This charming film celebrates Lila's resilience in the face of pressures from within herself and from the outside as she struggles to retain her identity.

Filmed over a six-year period, Lila grew out of a unique relationship between filmmaker and subject. The style is intimate and personal, inviting us into Lila's inner world as she reveals thoughts she can't say even to her parents. The setting moves back and forth from the family's tiny apartment in New York City to a trailer in the bucolic, lovely Upper Delaware Valley. We follow Lila from a tree-climbing eight-year-old who likes to compete with boys, through the complexities of a changing body and a new set of "rules" for behavior. Milestone moments include a disastrous haircut and the first day of menstruation. Throughout, Lila's luminous persona permeates the film as she struggles with the loss of childhood and tries to redefine herself as a young adult.

"This exceptionally well-made documentary is particularly noteworthy because it addresses those 'tween years--not quite a teen but no longer a child--something not often dealt with in coming-of-age films. A fantastic addition to women's studies, psychology or child development courses" School Library Journal

"This is intimate material that cannot be found in a textbook or journal article and is therefore recommended"- Michael J. Coffta, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania for EMRO