Bloody Mess

When filmmaker Megan Wennberg's period went nuts, she thought her Uterus was out for revenge because she was almost 40 and hadn't given it a baby. But it turned out she had fibroids. _Bloody Mess_ is a short, personal, animated documentary following Megan and her Uterus (voiced by actor Susan Kent) on their harrowing but darkly funny journey through the medical system to try and stop the bleeding.

Director	Megan Wennberg
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How can one manage to talk about uterine troubles? Perhaps by giving the uterus itself a voice — or rather, her voice! That’s exactly what Megan Wennberg does, staging a hilarious dialogue between herself and this part of her body, with which she has always had a complicated relationship. As her periods become dangerously heavy on the eve of turning forty, it’s time to lay everything on the table with this emotional organ, perhaps frustrated that she still has no children! But after a diagnosis of fibroids, the two embark together on a complex medical journey, hand in hand — albeit with a somewhat love-hate relationship.

Sharp humor and boundless creativity make this film a delight, despite its anxiety-inducing subject matter. The tone thrives on contrast: red curtains open onto an enchanted theater, filled with vibrant colors and charming stop-motion animation. Voiced by actress Susan Kent and adorned with outrageously feminine attributes — a bra, pearl necklace, and lace! — the personified uterus is hilarious, while tampons, fake blood, and gynecological instruments joyfully take over the screen. The result is an open, taboo-free, and often funny way of raising awareness about the intimate and medical ordeals experienced by so many women.

Apolline Caron-Ottavi
Programmer and writer
Cinémathèque québécoise