‘Red Cunt’ or how to face and combat the menstruation taboo

At a time when menstruation is a subject that occupies the headlines of all the media, and in which possible sick leave due to period pains are topical, the Catalan filmmaker Toti Potholes premieres “Red Cunt”, a documentary of German nationality that talks about the taboo of menstruation. With “Red Cunt”, Baches (Lleida, 1972) begins a trilogy of documentaries dedicated to three female taboos: Menstruation, Masturbation, which is already in the pre-production process, and Menopause. She calls it the Three M’s Trilogy. It will hit theaters on May 27.

What is the purpose of “Red Cunt”? Where does your interest in the subject come from?

The purpose of the film is to take the ruler out of the corner in which she has been relegated and put her in the spotlight of society at all levels. My interest in the subject stems from trying to tell my daughter something positive about her period and not being able to. Because the subject is so tabooed that we ourselves do not see the good things about the rule, but only that it is a nuisance. We do not see that it is a sign of good health. And that is the first condition, for example, to conceive children naturally. I wanted to find projects that would normalize the rule and, in the end, I stayed with the most punky ones, but I think they have served my daughter just as well to be able to see her rule as something positive”.

In “Red Cunt”, which was shot between Germany and Barcelona, ​​an animated character named Mensi is very important. Who is Mensi?

Mensi is a blood being who has done the training of Menstrual Companion in Menstrulaxia, a floating island with the best trainers in all of Menstruland. When Mensi finishes her training, she is sent into the life of Isabel, a 12-year-old European girl who, at first, is not happy that Mensi is there. Throughout the story, the two become friends. But, at first, Isabel finds it hard to accept Mensi, and Mensi finds it hard to understand that she is not welcome, despite being the best in her class at Menstrulaxia. Little by little, things are changing, and Isabel and Mensi understand the reason for the rule and also the reason why she is so discriminated against.

You collect the testimony of many people. What different groups do they represent?

My protagonists belong to very varied groups, because I wanted to approach menstruation from very varied points of view. I put aside the perspective of medicine and religion, because it seemed very complicated to touch on these issues, and the rest remained: a theater director, a group of activists, a coach and entrepreneur, the actress Clara Moraleda, who wrote a song about her periods, a writer, a businesswoman, a feminist and a fighter for wrestling. All of them dedicate a lot of time to the rule in a very successful way. Evidently, the selection criterion was also closely linked to the visual. I needed people who were visually very powerful. I think I have got. The film should represent a reconciliation with the rule. Naturally, without ignoring that it often hurts and that it always annoys. When it comes, few of us jump for joy. That is to say, I have tried to transmit a positive message without romanticizing it, and claiming the deficiencies and injustices that dominate our society in this regard.

You used your sense of humor…

The intention was that there would be humor. I think there is nothing worse and more boring than taking a taboo seriously. Through humor you can approach the subject with a certain distance. This distance gives you more opportunity to understand what you want to convey, creates links and breaks the initial skepticism.

Are we missing documentaries, books, series or fictions that approach menstruation?

There are still many works that speak to us about this subject. Films like mine are still very necessary for society in general to question how we are managing certain realities. There is definitely a long way to go. One of my goals is, for example, for the parents of girls who are getting their period to stop saying: “You’re already a woman.” Or disregard, saying, “Well, that’s a woman thing.” The new generations are already coming up with another awareness. And social networks are contributing a lot in this regard. The click should rather take place between the male members of the families.

Is “Red Cunt” aimed at a very specific audience, or, on the contrary, is it a very transversal work?

This is one of my weaknesses, I never know what the target is. When I was making the film, I always thought of menstruating people, and my wish was that they reconcile themselves to their rules much sooner than I did to mine. But then I saw that I also had to address the families of these people. And, despite the fact that in the documentary the men do not come off very well, I think it is very important that these men, who have never menstruated, also see this film. During the tour I did in Germany, there were countless men who, after seeing the film, thanked me for the amount of information they had obtained about things they had no idea about. This sounds like a great success to me.