Code red

Code red is a video essay I made for school about the taboo surrounding menstruation.

With this film I want to challenge the taboo around menstruation and the misconception that extreme menstrual pain is a normal part of menstruating. I want to shed light on the taboo around menstruation, and encourage conversations so no woman has to suffer in silence.

Project briefing:

In this project, you will create a research-driven short film essay that presents a clear and informed personal vision on a social issue or underlying cultural tension. This involves getting acquainted with analyzing, writing, composing essays and conducting various types of research. You work on producing imagery or/and working with existing audiovisual material, editing, production organization, scriptwriting and storytelling. You will translate all this information and skills into an essayist short film that clarifies your vision. Your vision must be well informed, braking with both with your own and other socio- cultural ungrounded assumptions and consequent misconceptions.

Logline:

For centuries there has been a taboo around menstruation. causing women to think that pain and discomford is a normal part of menstruation. It's time to break this taboo, and demand better healthcare, so no woman has to suffer in silence. 



Synopsis:

A lot of women grow up believing that menstrual pain is a natural and just a part of being on your period, something that is often enforced by lack of information and supported by taboos. But is menstrual pain really just a normal part of being on your period? Around 70% of women experience menstrual pain, and 10% of woman suffer from such severe symptoms such as cramps, nausea, depression, and not being able to get out of bed because of the pain. This is not normal, yet many woman think that the pain is just part of menstruation, so they accept the pain because they don’t know any better. This taboo is formed by centuries-old beliefs that thought of menstruating women as "unholy" or "unclean". These taboos, continue to shape the way we look and talk – or more often don’t talk – of menstruation and limit the healthcare for woman. Many women feel uncomfortable talking about their symptoms and are left without accurate information or proper health care. It’s time to end this taboo and silence, advocating for open conversations and better health care, so that no woman has to accept unnecessary suffering. Because menstrual pain isn’t just a normal part of being on your period. It's time to break the taboos and create a world in which menstruation is openly discussed and treated with the seriousness it deserves.