Hayley Kiyoko discusses directorial debut 'Girls Like Girls' and sapphic representation
Hayley Kiyoko has discussed her feature directorial debut, 'Girls Like Girls', which opened in UK cinemas on October 2. The coming-of-age drama follows a romance between grieving teenager Coley and conflicted Sonya, and it grew out of Kiyoko's music video and a later novel. Kiyoko said the project took eleven years to bring to the screen and aims to expand sapphic representation.
Kiyoko, a Los Angeles-raised musician of Japanese descent, spent over a decade trying to turn her 2015 “Girls Like Girls” video into a film. She later published a 2023 young-adult novel of the same name, hoping reader interest would help prove demand for the project.
The movie is set in 2006 and includes AIM Messenger exchanges. Coley, played by Maya da Costa, moves to Oregon after her mother dies and lives with her estranged father, portrayed by Zach Braff. Myra Molloy plays Sonya, who is involved with Trenton, played by Levon Hawke.
The film may offer young queer viewers, especially those who rarely see sapphic romances centered on women of colour, a sense of recognition. Its YA novel and music-video origins could also help draw existing fans toward cinema. By showing one character comfortable with her feelings and another fearful, it may encourage conversations about identity, family, and first love. Its UK release could modestly broaden mainstream offerings, though its actual social reach remains uncertain.