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50-516: Laurel Parmet is an American filmmaker. She made her directorial debut in 2023 with The Starling Girl starring Eliza Scanlen and Lewis Pullman . Parmet grew up in Los Angeles, California , and attended Alexander Hamilton High School. Her father is Phil Parmet , a still photographer and cinematographer. Parmet attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts . In 2017, Parmet directed Spring ,

100-458: A pay-as-you-go ( PAYG ), pay-as-you-talk , pay and go , go-phone , prepay , or burner phone , is a mobile device such as a phone for which credit is purchased in advance of service use. The purchased credit is used to pay for telecommunications services at the point the service is accessed or consumed. If there is no credit, then access is denied by the cellular network or Intelligent Network . Users can top up their credit at any time using

150-424: A lower cost (often for low usage patterns e.g. a telephone for emergency use) and make it easier to control spending by limiting debt and controlling usage. They often have fewer contractual obligations – no early termination fee, freedom to change providers, plans, able to be used by those unable to take out a contract (i.e. under age of majority). Depending on local laws, they may be available to those who do not have

200-414: A mobile account call it "churn". In the early years, a prepaid mobile phone could only be used within the network of the operator from which the customer purchased the phone. It was not possible to roam onto other GSM networks when using the phone abroad. This was because the operator had no way to bill calls in real time from another network. However, most prepaid phones now offer roaming using one of

250-416: A motel, Owen apologizes to Jem for his betrayal and she forgives him. Owen asks Jem about her father, but she tells him she doesn't want to think about it. Later that night, Jem discovers her father's iPod in her jacket pocket. The following morning, Jem decides to leave Owen without telling him and takes his car. She drives to a Memphis bar her father told her he used to perform at with his band. While there,

300-412: A musician, he insists that his sacrifice was part of God's plan. The troupe is asked to show their routine to Misty, who critiques the performance and says it needs to be changed so it is not centered on Jem. An angered Jem reluctantly complies, and at the conclusion of dance practice, she keys Misty's car in retaliation. The following afternoon, Jem visits Owen at his house, where he confronts Jem about

350-599: A permanent address, phone number, or credit card. This makes them popular among travelers and students away from their hometowns. Additionally, they are popular with parents who wish to have a way to stay connected with their college age students and have some control over the costs. Sometimes, pay-as-you-go customers pay more for their calls, SMS and data than contract customers. In some cases they are limited in what they can do with their phone – calls to international or premium-rate telephone numbers may be blocked, and they may not be able to roam . These limitations are usually

400-496: A relationship she had as a teenager, saying she "decided that I wanted to tell a story looking back at my experience and set it in a world that, while extreme and specific, has so much in common with the culture at large.” The film was shot in the area of Louisville , Kentucky. Production took place from May 16 to June 17, 2022. The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023. In February, Bleecker Street acquired North American distribution rights for

450-496: A religious background, the elements of dread, wielding power over our own upbringing, our own residual guilt that sticks with one long after they’ve stopped going to church will be well-recognized. For others, it’ll be a strong showing from an up-and-coming director with two terrific, mostly quiet lead performances. Both perspectives elevate the film above standard fare depicting the dangers of fundamentalism." Prepaid mobile phone A prepaid mobile device , also known as

500-421: A rolling contract or a 30-day contract) and billing arrangement with a mobile phone operator ( mobile virtual network operator or mobile network operator ). A prepaid mobile phone provides most of the services offered by a mobile phone operator . The main difference is that with prepaid phones, payment for service is made before use. As calls and texts are made, and as data is used, deductions are made against

550-437: A short film revolving around a young woman taking pictures of her best friend. It had its world premiere at South by Southwest . In 2018, Parmet directed Kira Burning , a short film revolving around a teenager attempting to take revenge after a heartbreaking betrayal by her best friend. In 2023, Parmet made her directorial debut with The Starling Girl starring Eliza Scanlen and Lewis Pullman . It had its world premiere at

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600-448: A sin. He also reveals that his marriage to Misty is an unhappy one because they married young and "misread the signs". Jem's family situation becomes strained when Paul, an alcoholic, relapses. While alone with her dad one night, Jem learns he was a singer in a band prior to converting to Christianity. He still listens to an iPod , which he keeps hidden from Heidi and swears Jem to secrecy about. When Jem asks Paul if he misses his life as

650-463: A smartphone. United States Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced legislation requiring consumers to produce identification before buying pre-paid phones in 2010, which was not passed. In an effort to differentiate the prepaid from post-paid service for their customers, CSPs have branded prepaid services differently from the post-paid services. A variant of post-paid service has emerged in recent years that comes closer to

700-449: A song plays and she happily dances alone to it, losing herself in the dance. Parmet began writing the script in 2017. Her idea for the story came from research work she did in Oklahoma about Christian fundamentalist communities. From spending time with the women of these communities and attending their church, Parmet "learned that [the women] believed that their desires were sinful. There

750-482: A subscriber to have a credit balance in the account to make outgoing calls (except emergency calls , which are always allowed). In the US, incoming calls are also barred, while in some other countries, a prepaid mobile with zero balance may still receive calls and texts. This results in an "on/off" or "all or nothing" proposition for the prepaid service providers and their clients (i.e. the account either has enough credit to use

800-413: A variety of payment mechanisms. ("Pay-as-you-go", "PAYG", and similar terms are also used for other non-telecommunications services paid for by advance deposit.) The alternative billing method (and what is commonly referred to as a mobile contract) is the postpaid mobile phone , where a user enters into a long-term contract (lasting 12, 18, or 24 months) or short-term contract (also commonly referred to as

850-460: A year of non-use. By 2003, the number of prepaid accounts grew past contract accounts, and by 2007, two-thirds of all mobile phone accounts worldwide were prepaid accounts. The history of prepaid mobile phones begins in the 1990s, when larger markets were being sought after by the mobile phone operators . Before this date, all mobile phone services were offered on a post-paid basis , which excluded people with poor credit. Prepaid mobile service

900-503: Is a complex, often disturbing portrait of the way women have been pressured to shrink themselves and pass on that shame to their daughters. Somewhere inside them they know it breeds unhappiness, but for them it’s a small price to pay for admittance into the kingdom of Heaven." In The Guardian , Adrian Horton wrote Parmet succeeds in "depicting an insular religious community – a group of fundamentalist Christians in present-day Kentucky – with enough specificity and emotional acuity to bridge

950-534: Is a concern by police and security agencies that anonymous use of prepaid mobile services facilitates criminal or terrorist activities. Prepaid phone users can be anonymous for two reasons: While there is no doubt that criminals and terrorists use prepaid SIM cards to help stay anonymous and avoid easy detection, to date there has been no empirical evidence to indicate that: In fact, a publicly available policy assessment report from Mexico showed that mandatory SIM registration introduced there in 2009 had failed to help

1000-415: Is a well-told coming-of-age story centering around a young woman's struggles with her spiritual faith." Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Critics lauded the performances and Parmet's direction. Katie Walsh of TheWrap wrote, "Parmet’s strong script and surety behind the camera navigates

1050-430: Is more interested in dancing as a member of her church's dance troupe. Jem's parents and Pastor Taylor arrange for his youngest son Ben to court her, a decision she reluctantly agrees to. Over the course of several days, Jem and Ben get to know each other, but it becomes evident that the two have nothing in common despite Ben developing feelings for Jem. 28-year-old Owen Taylor, the pastor's eldest son, has just returned to

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1100-431: Is not easy for an operator to know when a prepaid subscriber has left the network. To free up resources on the network for new customers, an operator will periodically delete prepaid SIM cards which have not been used for some time, at which point, their service (and its associated phone number) is discontinued. The rules for when this deletion happens vary from operator to operator, but may typically occur after six months to

1150-466: Is rooted in the friction that it finds between biblical paternalism and modern personhood. While young women have always been taught to be ashamed of their desires...Parmet’s self-possessed debut is uncommonly well-attuned to how garbled that gospel might sound to a God-loving girl who’s been raised amid the echoes of a secular culture." In The Hollywood Reporter , Jourdain Searles wrote, " The Starling Girl

1200-510: Is routed to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) device that announces to the user that the account balance is low and suggests they add funds to the account so their service is not interrupted. When the user's account balance is depleted, the service is suspended until they added funds to their account. If the user's account balance is depleted, all call attempts are routed to the IVR. These patents expired in 2010 and 2012 respectively. The prepaid service

1250-521: Is taken to hospital. The next morning Heidi tells Jem he is in a coma, before sending her to a church event despite her daughter's protests. Jem and Ben are spending time together at the party when she notices Owen, who once again rebuffs her when she tries speaking with him. Upon seeing the troupe dance to her routine, Jem angrily runs off into the woods, breaking down in tears. Concerned, Ben catches up to Jem and begs her to talk to him despite her repeated pleas for solitude. When Ben tries to bring her back to

1300-644: The 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, and was acquired by Bleecker Street . The Starling Girl The Starling Girl premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on May 12, 2023. The film received critical acclaim, with particular praise for the performances of

1350-434: The audience through this complicated story of religion and sexuality, patriarchy and power, brought to eerily accurate life by the ensemble of excellent actors. Scanlen, who is always tremendous, from Little Women to Babyteeth , holds the center with ease, while Pullman proves his chops in this complex role. But Schmidt (whose accent and cadence is spot on) and Simpson just about steal the show in their supporting roles as

1400-412: The camp, she is approached by Owen, who has left Misty and declares his love for Jem, wanting to take her with him to Puerto Rico. A furious Heidi punches Owen and orders him to stay away from her daughter, but when Heidi tells Jem to go back inside the house, Jem defies her mother and gets into Owen's car. The two drive away as a hysterical Heidi pleads with Jem not to leave. After taking up residence at

1450-555: The car and warns her that any reckless behavior could risk exposing their affair. Jem apologizes and the two start kissing and undressing, but when Misty arrives home early, Owen takes Jem to the bathroom and tells her not to come out until he says so. An impatient Jem crawls out the window of his house, only to be seen by her younger sister Rebecca. Later that night before bedtime, Jem tells Rebecca not to tell anyone what she saw, but she ignores her. Paul catches Jem lying to him about where she goes at night, punishing her by making her quit

1500-452: The cast and Parmet's direction. At the 39th Independent Spirit Awards , Parmet received a nomination for Best First Screenplay . 17-year-old Jemima "Jem" Starling lives in a fundamentalist Christian community in Kentucky , and her parents Paul and Heidi expect Jem to be a model Christian for her four younger siblings. Jem's age necessitates that she begin the tradition of courting , but she

1550-531: The community from doing missionary work with his wife Misty in Puerto Rico . When Jem learns the troupe might disband due to not having a leader, she asks Owen, who is in charge of church programs, if she can be appointed the leader, which he allows. She develops a crush on Owen and seeks ways to get closer to the older man, who is supportive of her passion for dance when others tell her she is doing it for vanity and not to praise God. During one night when they are

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1600-399: The credits. There is no compulsion on a prepaid mobile phone user to top up their balance. To maintain revenues, some operators have devised reward schemes designed to encourage frequent top-ups. For example, an operator may offer some free SMS to use next month if a user tops up by a certain amount this month. Unlike postpaid phones , where subscribers have to terminate their contracts, it

1650-474: The film. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 12, 2023. It was released on May 12, 2023, with a wider expansion on May 19. On October 9, 2023, it was released to SVOD on Paramount+ w/Showtime . On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 92% of 89 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sensitively and intelligently crafted by writer-director Laurel Parmet, The Starling Girl

1700-419: The final agreement was signed in late 1997. The announcement was made on January 26, 1998 (or listen to it). Prepaid service enabled carriers in third world countries to add subscribers without having to print monthly statements or having an accounts receivable department, and gave them the ability to add subscribers without concern for their ability to pay their bills. patent holder ). In 1996 MTN became

1750-583: The first mobile operator to introduce a prepaid cellular service in Africa, popularizing "pay as you go" in emerging markets. The first Prepaid card was called "Mimo" and was launched by TMN, the mobile phone operator of Portugal Telecom, in September 1995. In 2006 Swisscom celebrated ten years with its product and service "NATEL® easy" which also holds a patent on "Prepaid mobile subscriber identification card and method implemented thereby". A prepaid plan may have

1800-470: The following methods: Since July 2013, at least 80 countries globally (including 37 on the African continent) have mandated, or are actively considering mandating, the registration of prepaid SIM users. As of January 2020, researches found that governments of 155 countries have been mandating SIM registration laws; in some countries, prepaid users must submit biometrics like photos and fingerprints. The reason

1850-453: The gap with viewers who will find such a place opaque, unrelatable or possibly even unbelievable." Collider ' s Maggie Boccella wrote, " The Starling Girl is steeped with empathy, not just for Jem, but for every young woman, religious or not, who struggles to know herself and gives in to the desire to be seen, no matter the voyeur — just to feel alive, and like they matter." The Film Stage ' s Michael Frank wrote, "For those with

1900-407: The only two people in the church building, they share a kiss and begin an illicit relationship. The following evening, Jem and Owen have sex for the first time in his car. Afterwards, Jem runs off into the lake and Owen gives chase. When Jem asks Owen if he thinks she is wicked, he replies he does not, and reasons that because he feels he can be himself around her, what they are doing cannot possibly be

1950-526: The party, she almost kills him by drowning him in the lake. An angered Ben dismisses Jem as a psycho and leaves, ending their courtship Upon returning home, Jem is confronted about the affair by Heidi, who found a burner phone given to Jem by Owen in her daughter's belongings. Pastor Taylor visits the Starling residence to talk with Heidi and Jem, pointedly interrogating Jem about when her relationship with Owen started and her culpability. When Jem asks about Owen,

2000-545: The pastor says Owen doesn't want to be there and that his life is ruined. According to the pastor, Owen claims it was Jem who tempted him and "inhibited his ability to control himself". Heidi and the pastor decide that Jem must be sent to a disciplinary camp as punishment for her behaviour. At church, Jem is asked to recant her sins in front of everyone. All the church members, including Owen, approach Jem to say, "I forgive you." Jem visits her father in hospital, with Paul showing no signs of improvement. As Jem prepares to leave for

2050-480: The phone, or it does not). Some operators (e.g., Orange ) allow their pre-paid customers to have a small negative balance to allow short calls or texts when the customer's credit has been completely used. This is then deducted when the customer next adds more credit. The time most likely for a prepaid customer to switch to a different service provider is when the prepaid account reaches a "zero credit balance". Like other service providers, mobile service providers losing

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2100-478: The prepaid balance amount until no funds remain (at which time services stop functioning). A user may avoid interruptions in service by making payments to increase the remaining balance. Methods of payment: Credit purchased for a prepaid mobile phone may have a time limit – for example, 120 days from the date the last credit was added. In these cases, customers who do not add more credit before expiration will have their remaining balance depleted through expiration of

2150-670: The prepaid service, by offering a "pay monthly" contract. Prepaid phones and SIMs in the United Kingdom are known as "Pay as you go". Usage of prepaid cellphone service was common in most parts of the world. In 2012 around 70% of customers in Western Europe and China use prepaid phones with the figure rising to over 90% for customers in India and Africa. 36% of cellphone users in the United States of America were using some form of prepaid service as of 2021. Prepaid SIM cards are also becoming

2200-414: The prevention, investigation and/or prosecution of associated crimes. As a result, policymakers decided to repeal the regulation three years later. A prepaid phone number specifically purchased to be used briefly and then replaced is known colloquially as a burner phone or burner . A Los Angeles technology company developed a mobile application of the same name that replicates this functionality for

2250-450: The results of deficiencies in the prepaid systems used by the wireless carriers, as technology has evolved to the point where these are easily managed by triggers or APIs to third-party solution providers. Current models being deployed by wireless carriers are capable of setting the price points for all services on an individual basis (via packages), such that higher pricing is a marketing decision. As described above, prepaid accounts require

2300-422: The steely, severe Heidi and deteriorating Paul." David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a grade of B+ and wrote though the film "tells a tale as old as time — the broad strokes of its story about the affair between a naïve teenage girl and a married older man who swears that he’ll leave his wife adhere to convention from start to finish...the power of this sensitive and devilishly detailed coming-of-age drama

2350-573: The troupe. During their argument, Jem accuses him of lying as well, prompting him to slap her. Jem visits Owen in his car, where she tells him about Rebecca catching her leaving his house. A panicked Owen to decides to take a break from the relationship. Jem pleads with him not to and says she thinks it's time for them to go public with their relationship, but Owen angrily rebukes her and drives off, leaving Jem devastated. That night, Paul appears at Jem's bedside and apologises for their argument, shortly before he collapses from an overdose on Heidi's pills and

2400-490: Was a woman in their church who had had an affair with a church authority member and she received the blame instead of him. When I first heard these stories, I was like, 'Their world is so backwards. I’m so glad that my life’s not like this.' But the more I thought about it, the more I saw how much we actually had in common, in terms of how we grew up, our relationships with our bodies and what society teaches us to feel about our desires." Parmet also drew from her own experiences in

2450-409: Was invented by Subscriber Computing, Inc., an Orange County company, (1986–1998), founded and directed by Arlene Harris . The patents covering this invention are: These patents describe the ability to access the cost of a call and deduct the cost of the call from the user's account balance in near real time. If the user's balance is below the carrier-defined threshold, the next call that the user makes

2500-673: Was sold to Metro Mobile in June 1989, and was implemented in November 1989. The prepaid service was also sold to carriers in Mexico; Celcom in 1994, and implementation took place in Monterrey, and to Telcel, where implementation began in November 1997 and production took place beginning in April 1998. Ericsson also became a partner in the prepaid service; a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in June 1997 and

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