New BBC Series Sheds Light on Women Suffering Through Pain in Silence

In this era of social awareness, many once-taboo issues are being brought to light for women and other marginalized communities. One such taboo is the expectation that women should keep details of their body and health issues private. To overcome that assumed silence, BBC Three commissioned “Body Language,” a four-part series of intimate visual essays that focus on some of the most isolating female reproductive health experiences. The series was produced by Prettybird and directed by Sindha Agha. Agha is a Sundance Ignite and Sundance New Voices Fellow, with past work including “Birth Control Your Own Adventure," an official selection for the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. [kickout id="1"] The film series is composed of 5-minute films for BBC Three’s social channels and focuses on candid personal accounts of the health battles of four women that examine the normalization of pain, hormone changes, and trauma. The series discusses issues such as early menopause, painful sex, endometriosis and maternal mental health. The films are visually striking and beautiful, utilizing stop-motion, collage and conceptual imagery to allow the first-person monologues to be told and heart in a bright, compelling way; dripping honey, fruit embedded with glass, all set against colorful backdrops in intentional juxtaposition with the solemn monologues. The subject matter is serious, examining the wrongful normalization of women's pain, how it leads to women becoming experts in resilience and enduring what they often shouldn't. “It’s true that people often don’t want to come near your grief—that’s why I worked with the subjects to create an unconventional style of documentary, using comedy & vivid imagery to find moments of humor and beauty while wading through these heartbreaking stories. My hope is that the style will compel those who typically wouldn’t stop and listen and that the visceral visuals will lead people to inhabit our bodies & minds for a few minutes, in turn, building empathy for the way in which women still suffer on a massive scale from systemic injustices in Healthcare,” says Agha of her aspirations for the series. ‘Body Language’ features as part of the BBC’s Hear Her season, a dedicated season of content across TV, radio and online to mark 100 years since suffrage and the centenary anniversary of women being able to vote in the UK. ‘Body Language’ are available on BBC Three’s YouTube and Facebook channels. CREDITS: Series commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller BBC Three Commissioning Editor for the BBC: Navi Lamba. Director: Sindha Agha Production: Prettybird Producer: Paulette Caletti Executive Producer: Juliette Larthe Head Of Production: Hannah May Director Of Photography: Neus Ollé Assistant Camera: Mark Swaffield Digital Image Technician: Ewan MacFarlan Gaffer: Josie Williams Art Director: Hayley McDonald Art Department Assistant: Lois Tagg Editor: Ellie McNaughtan Offline Producer: Ella Sedgwick At Work Post Sound Recordist & Designer: Helen Miles Colorist: Jessica Vile Flame Artist: Katie Rhodes Post-production Producer: Hannah Oliver At Framestore Casting Director: Maxine Lankitus-Dunkley At Atmosphere Faces Filmed At Clapham Road Studios Contributors/interviewees: Painful Sex: Rhonda Hierons Endometriosis: Anais Thorn Antenatal Depression: Pippa Johnson-Kapp Early Menopause: Diane Danzebrink

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New BBC Series Sheds Light on Women Suffering Through Pain in Silence

The films focus on painful sex, menopause and more

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