My Blood, My Medicine (2019)
My Blood, My Medicine is an anthropological essay film exploring the making and breaking of boundaries and taboos through ritualistic menstrual blood offering with the group Camino da Raiz, in Southern Brazil.
In the lush green forest we follow the process of construction of the Tenda Vermelha, The Red Tent. A vision of a space where menstruation can be valued as something sacred, where women can heal, explore and express their sexuality, womanhood and power. The men of this community are the ones building this sacred site, and steadily we see how a temple is constructed through their hands and prayers. While at the same time observing their own notions, their umcomfortability, fear, awe or confusion about identity, sexuality and gender.
The Tenda Vermelha is the centre of this neo-shamanistic spiritual practice where women are re-creating the story about their bodies, cycles and womanhood. We get a glimpse of the nightlong rituals that take place here, the healings, the blood offerings and the mysteries that can’t be shared. What we do see is the sovereignty these women seem to emit over their own selves, how they carry their bodies and speak with grace, confidence and love. They share with us a total different view on menstruation, it being something powerful and divine rather than dirty. And invite the viewers to explore our own notions of what is sacred, what is dirty and how these categorisation might affect our bodies and spirits.
Watch the film here: