I Used To be Normal is a love letter to the girls
and women who let themselves feel things deeply, who aren’t afraid to sing
or dance along to a song that makes them happy, or who endeavour to always
stay closely in touch with their inner teenager, with all the optimism,
awkwardness and dreams that that entails. From Brosettes to Beliebers,
Durannies to Directioners, the Beyhive to the Britney Army, pop music acts
have always had their legions of dedicated fans but none more so than the
Boy Band. They may be carefully engineered packages of cute, young boys in
coordinated outfits, singing in harmony about broken hearts but their music
is some of the most enduring and beloved and their fans are legendary. For
over six decades the Fan Girl has been the beating heart of boybands. They
fell in love as teenagers and, like any first love, that love has endured.
Filmed over four years, and spanning three generations, I USED TO BE
NORMAL: A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY follows a diverse, funny, honest and
insightful group of women who have had their lives dramatically changed by
their boy band obsessions. It is an affectionate exploration of the fan
girl phenomenon and also a surprising coming of age story.
Jessica Leski’s
film focuses on four women, aged between 16 and 64 in the US and Australia,
whose stories reveal the challenges of love, sexuality, family and faith,
while constantly grappling with the problems and contradictions that are
part of being in love with a boyband.
