In Europe more than 18% of all girls start getting their period without any understanding of what’s happening. Together with directors Ine & Sanne, we address this problem by visualizing the female cycle in a short, informative video: The Cycle Story.
With this video we aim to increase awareness of how the female cycle actually works and what happens in the female body leading up to the taboo-ridden moment of menstruation. We hope to spark an interest in both girls and women to learn more about how their bodies work.
The female cycle takes anywhere between 23 to 35+ days to prepare for menstruation. The cycle starts with hormones (the blue little balls in the video) releasing from the pituitary gland. Under the influence of a complex interplay of hormones, the follicles in the ovary begin to develop. After several days one, or occasionally two, of the follicles become dominant while the others shrink and die. Ovulation occurs when the dominant follicle(s) releases an oocyte. The uterine wall softens and thickens, creating the ideal circumstances for the oocyte or ‘egg’ to nest. Without fertilisation the oocyte dies within 24 hours after which, menstruation will take place approximately 14 days later. And right then the cycle starts all over again.
Soon we’ll go ‘behind the scenes’ with the makers Ine & Sanne to hear more how of ‘The Cycle Story’ was created.
The Cycle Story is a follow up to Yoni and Ine & Sanne’s earlier collaboration, The Cycle Series. In this series of 4 short videos the two most important highlights of the female cycle namely, ovulation and menstruation, are visualised in a colorful and creative way.