When it comes to periods no two women are alike, some may suffer with severe symptoms and some may have no periods at all. Did you know that there are 5,000 euphemisms for periods around the world, the average woman has more than 400 periods in her lifetime, you could go through up to 15,000 period products in your lifetime, orgasms can make your cramps feel better, Disney made a movie about periods in the 1940’s and you probably bleed a lot less than you think. Why are as saying all this? We want to get you talking about periods, as even though it is completely natural there is still a big taboo around the subject.

Alejandra Jenni’s short film Worth shares a story of an intimate search for the individual and social value of the period. She shares the story of two women and even stars as one of the characters who isn’t having a period, which causes her huge distress. A friend of mine actually said she loves having her period and it makes her feel like a women, I can’t imagine how it feels to not have one and not know why. I am sure so many things are going through her head, like will be able to have children? On the other hand we see another young women played by Amelie Barth whose periods are so bad she has to cancel plans and lay in bath spraying water over tummy to help her immense pain.

Alejandra Jenni captures this story beautifully, even having the two strangers cross paths in the ladies restroom. The performances are brilliant, making the viewer feel sympathy for both women for very different reasons. Jenni makes bold choices of showing blood that is usually hidden in films about periods, which makes the film more realistic.

Director/Actress Alejandra Jenni studied Physical Theatre at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany. During her studies she devised and performed several theatre plays of which most were invited to numerous festivals. Also she co-produced the dance film Statement on Landscapes. After her graduation in 2016, she gained further education in camera acting at the Central de Cine in Madrid. Since 2017, she has been working as a freelance theatre and filmmaker in Switzerland and Germany. Worth is her first fictional short.

We can’t recommend the film enough, with great direction, perfect acting and a heartfelt storyline. Worth is a brilliant piece of filmmaking.

Jane Norman