Our Body

The title is no accident. If the works of Claire Simon—the eminent French documentarian—are always marked by exceptional sensitivity and striking truthfulness, they are above all infused with deep and moving humanity. But politics is rarely far behind. Urgent. Fundamental. Such is the case with this truly remarkable and poignant film, Our Body. "Our" body—the bodies of women, all women, both cis and trans—so often pushed around, mistreated, denigrated, objectified by society. The title itself is political. A protest scene near the end of the film, denouncing violent and aggressive practices in obstetric care, makes that abundantly clear. Yet Claire Simon is not polemical. By meeting with patients and healthcare professionals in the gynecology department of a major public hospital in Paris, she weaves this political discourse subtly throughout the film—quietly, respectfully, never forcing it, and yet rendering it crystal clear and undeniable. It’s present in every moment, every shot, every scene; through every examination, consultation, and conversation; in the glimpses we get of each woman’s life, as seen through the eyes of these exemplary, empathetic, and devoted doctors, nurses, and support staff. Their approach is laced with compassion and humanity, even as their questions and diagnoses remain frank and direct. Encouraged by her producer—herself a patient at this hospital—Claire Simon steps into this world and meets the people within it, from young people just beginning their lives to elderly women already facing the horizon of death. These women are going through intense, often defining experiences. And Claire Simon is there, capturing each of these beating lives in their full strength and vulnerability—including her own, in a destabilizing but gracefully embraced twist. Our Body is a deeply moving film. It offers solace. It pushes back against the judgment-laden care too often reserved for women. It comforts, and it gives hope—that we too, in our own moments of deep uncertainty, when our bodies fail us, might encounter such sensitive, patient, and understanding professionals.

Claire Valade
Critic and programmer