Girl Model

Girl Model is an poignant and thought-provoking documentary produced in 2011 featuring notable personalities like Ashley Arbaugh, Rachel Blais, and Olivia Arben. The film provides an in-depth and raw perspective on the often-glamorized world of high-fashion modeling, exposing its underbelly and revealing shocking aspects that are often swept under the rug.

The film unfolds primarily through the eyes of two characters, Ashley Arbaugh, a former model turned scout and Rachel Blais, a 13-year-old aspiring model from a post-socialist society in Siberia. Juxtaposing these two viewpoints, the documentary delivers an intimate narrative that takes us through the roller-coaster journey of what it's truly like to be swept up into the world of modeling.

Ashley Arbaugh forms an important cornerstone in the film. With her past experiences as a model, she offers a unique perspective, looking at the industry from both sides of the coin. The film takes the viewers along Ashley’s scouting trips, where she seeks out the next top model from a plethora of young girls. These girls, often underage, are scouted from their homes in economically disadvantaged areas and offered a dream - a lucrative modeling contract in Japan, that can transform their lives and also serve as an escalator to catapult them to worldwide fame.

While we navigate through Ashley’s side of the journey, we are introduced to Rachel Blais, a Siberian teenager aspiring to be a model. The documentary provides a serious examination of Rachel's journey, immersing viewers into her life, dreams, struggles, and determination. We get a ringside view of Rachel as she navigates through the cultural and emotional contrasts of transitioning from her humble life in Siberia to the voracious demands of the modeling industry in Tokyo, with her mother by her side.

Throughout the course of the film, Girl Model presents a shocking discourse on the prevalent underage modeling, questionable labor practices, and the insatiable appetite of the fashion industry for young and fresh faces, all as a matter of routine business. Viewers will be awed by the disturbing fabrications of beauty and youth articulated by the industry, along with the hunger for validation and acceptance that drives these girls into the hands of an industry that views them as commodities.

The documentary does a commendable job of offering audiences an unfiltered view of an otherwise glamorous world. It delves not just into the exterior but the often discomforting essence of this high-stakes industry—its lack of regulations and exploitation of young innocent lives sold on the promise of making it big. Directors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, weave together their narrative with a perfect balance of emotions, reality-checks, and thought-provoking insights.

Girl Model excels in the emotional portrayal of its subjects; not just Ashley and Rachel, but the countless nameless young girls that have unrealistic dreams of stardom implanted into their minds by an industry that sees them as malleable and dispensable. You cannot help but feel for these girls who move from their small towns into the glitz and glamor of squallor-ridden model apartments, yet hang onto the ruthless pursuit of their dreams. It's a story of exploitation — but also survival and resilience.

The cinematography brilliantly captures this contrast of reality and dream, the chasm between the dilapidated buildings of Siberia and luminous Tokyo. The film doesn’t shy away from harsh realities, effectively showcasing the intricate dynamics of the modeling industry, the pressures, the exploitation, and the human cost of the pursuit of beauty.

Critically acclaimed and widely discussed, Girl Model is a must-watch for anyone interested in the realities of the high-fashion modeling industry. It should also serve as an eye-opener to anyone invested in questions of labor law, international commerce, and ethical considerations in the fashion world.

Though dark and unsettling at times, Girl Model offers a necessary insight into an industry shrouded in glamour and allure. A powerful documentary that serves as a stark reminder that everything intensive and glittering might not always be gold.