Sundance can be a heavy place. Many of the films dig deep into the hardest parts of the human experience. The highest quality work at the festival often comes from the documentary sections, which also tend to be the most difficult to watch. So it is rare to leave a Sundance documentary smiling from the opening frame all the way through the credits. Cookie Queens is thankfully that film.
The documentary follows four Girl Scouts from across the United States and is one of the most light hearted, sweet, and purely enjoyable films I have seen at Sundance.
Cookie Queens centers on Ara, Shannon Elizabeth, Nikki, and Olive, ranging in age from four to twelve. Each of them is endlessly charming and impressive in their own way. Early on, each girl sets a personal goal for how many cookies she hopes to sell, and we spend the season alongside them as they hustle, pitch, negotiate, and slowly turn into confident young saleswomen.
Each girl comes from a vastly different background, making the film not just a look at cookie sales, but a gentle snapshot of growing up in America. It also highlights the power of the Girl Scouts as an organization, one that builds confidence, independence, and leadership in young girls in a way that feels genuine and earned.
The film briefly touches on more controversial elements, including pricing and profit margins, but it does so with a lighter touch. One of the film’s most striking moments comes when one of the girls takes on this tougher subject head-on and, in doing so, rises above the documentary itself, revealing herself as a future force to be reckoned with.
Director Alysa Nahmias clearly had incredible subjects to work with, but she brings it all together with care and warmth. She spends just the right amount of time with each family, allowing the audience to become fully invested and genuinely root for these girls to hit their goals.
With so many documentaries at this year’s festival focused on war, tragedy, and injustice, it is a genuine relief to walk out of a screening feeling this much joy and optimism.
Everyone should seek out Cookie Queens. It will put a smile on your face and remind you there is still plenty to feel good about when it comes to the future.
