In popular culture, women are no longer just the damsel in distress or the love interest. Increasingly they are the main show. And yet periods are still invisible. Women are able to be anything, and do anything. Except get their periods.
And this taboo hurts women. In a study, 56% of girls said they would rather be bullied than talk to their parents about their period. And shaming and insults are still the dominant themes around the world. We wanted to make a dent in this imbalance.
Flare Studio commissioned three short films that normalise periods. Although made on behalf of Tena, these films were designed to be pieces of culture that positively depict the reality of periods. The selected ideas were awarded a budget of £5,000 and the chance to work with our leading creatives and producers to bring their film to the screen and then entered into film festivals around the world with the support of the agency.
Through the platform we recieved a range of ideas from some amazing up and coming talent and chose three directors; Lucy Bridger, Anna Snowball and Stroma Cairns to develop their concepts into films.
Mothering. Directed by Lucy Bridger.
Mothering tells the story of a young girl, Mia, arriving at her new foster home. When her first period unexpectedly appears in the early hours, help comes in the form of her foster parent's elderly mother, Pauline.
Spring Fever. Directed by Anna Snowball
Trailer for Spring Fever, a glimpse into a refreshingly different sex education class in the Netherlands. This isn’t just a sex ed class, this is an anti-shame class.
Blud. Directed by Stroma Cairns
BLUD is a short film that challenges several sterotypes & the stigma surrounding periods, for both women and men
