The Girls

Liz, Marianne, and Gunilla are hired to perform in a touring production of Lysistrata. The arrangement promises a demanding schedule and a long road away from home. The film follows the personal costs as each woman faces the challenge of balancing art and family.

Marianne leaves her married boyfriend and contends with the guilt of the separation. She finds it difficult to leave her toddler in the care of babysitters while she tours. The decision begins to strain her relationship and test her commitment to the stage.

Liz discovers her husband is having an affair and is urged to leave by him. She wrestles with the pull between love, marriage, and career on the road. The domestic pressure foreshadows the larger conflict of women's independence.

Gunilla, mother of four young children, is urged by her husband to stay at home to help with the children. She worries about leaving her family but fears letting the tour or herself slip away. The touring schedule immediately encroaches on her domestic life.

The three actresses set off on the Lysistrata tour, leaving their homes behind for the first leg of the journey. Travel is long and tiring, and the pace tests their stamina and resolve. They hope the production will be worth the personal sacrifice.

Early performances are met with polite indifference; audiences fail to grasp the play's meaning or grow bored. The trio senses a gulf between the material and the viewers. The touring circuit reveals how theatre can be met with disengagement rather than spark.

After a single performance, Liz invites audience members to stay behind to discuss the play's meaning. When she speaks about women's lives and issues, the crowd is unmoved and even skeptical. A male company member treats the moment as if it were just another scene and ushers her offstage.

Liz's outburst draws a hint of press attention, but reporters struggle to pin down a single incident. Without a clear catalyst, the coverage remains cautious and dismissive. The public's response seems to confirm the audience's initial reluctance.

Later, the three leads go out to dinner and discuss the problem of audience engagement. They wonder if a women-only show might better connect with viewers. The conversation reveals their frustration and longing for meaningful recognition.

Several men bother them; the women calmly turn down the advances, only to provoke hostility. Marianne, drawing on her resolve, warns and threatens to escalate the situation. The men back off, leaving the table under the tense weight of gendered power.

A friend of Liz's husband presses Liz to come home, arguing that her husband needs a wife to support him and his work. Liz argues that her own career and independence matter as much as his. The conflict intensifies as the tour continues.

Liz stays on until the end of the play, insisting on completing the production. The others endure personal sacrifices as the tour carries on. They emerge from the road with a sense that little has changed, yet the lives of women are more visible.

The tour finishes and the women return home with mixed feelings of fatigue and small victories. They feel that society is not ready to change, but they have raised awareness of their misery. The shared experience forges a bond among them.

At a party celebrating the end of the play, Liz declares she wants a divorce. The statement marks a personal victory of sorts, even if it remains a fragile option. The scene closes with a glimmer of possibility for independence.