Write a short summary of what happens in the film

In India periods is associated with shame, taboo and most evidently ‘shush…’. It is assumed and culturally accepted that it’s a mom’s job to have ‘The Talk’ with their daughters about periods. But what if dad’s initiated this conversation as well? In this film we see father-daughter duos being tricked into having a conversation about periods, disguised as an audition for an ad. As they read the script, midway through they realise it isn’t what they expected it to be. They begin to fumble, stutter and avoid eye contacts with each other. Clearly there is discomfort in talking about this subject, but we don’t stop, we go on with audition. In the end, all the participants open up and talk about periods more confidently. With fathers reassuring their daughters that it’s a natural process, we witness a cultural shift that encourages period conversations.

Please tell us about the cultural insight that inspired the work

Menstruation is a subject of taboo across households in India for ages now. The older generation grew up in a culture where ‘don’t go to temples’, ‘don’t enter the kitchen’, ‘don’t touch anything’ were commonly used phrases when young girls and women got their periods. Even today, people avoid having an open conversation about menstruation and accepting it for being what it is – a natural process. To bring a cultural shift in the country, Stayfree is encouraging people to learn about this topic, openly talk about it and help normalise periods. Afterall, it’s just a period.