‘What our girls and boys are made of’ is one of the most recognizable and loved songs from Russian childhood. A cultural milestone that every Russian boy and girl learn when they are young, and a song with verses that describe girls as made of “flowers”, “gossip” and “marmalade”, while boys are made of things like “energy batteries” and “fireworks”.

Challenging these subtle, but outdated notions of gender roles, the film rewrites the lyrics of this classic Russian song.

In the film, a young girl is shown singing the traditional verses of the song. However, upon seeing some of Russia’s most accomplished athletes, the girl changes the lyrics to include a more inspirational message. 

Because Russian girls are made of more than just flowers and marmalade – they are “Made of strength; And of bravery. Made of freedom. And of achievements. They are made of what they do.”

Casting for the hero girl took three weeks, and the resulting lead actress was picked out of more than 200 candidates. The task was challenging. We were searching for a Russian girl under 10 years old, who could sing and act well at the same time. 

During the casting process we asked the girls to perform the song, starting with the original lyrics and then changing to our rewritten lyrics, progressively becoming more confident and determined. The emotional journey of the film's lead character sees her starting insecure and then progressively finding inner strength and confidence that in the end results in complete determination.

Not an easy task for any actor, but we’ve found a 10-year-old girl who could skilfully combine vocal skills, physical presence (notice how she straightens her body position as she gets more and more confident) and in-the-character acting to deliver a powerful performance.