Spotless

Menstrual products are seen as a luxury product. Spotless tells the story of many unheard women, and aims of opening the conversation and breaking the taboo about period poverty.

Info

Premiered: September 2021

Crew

Director: Emma Branderhorst
Writers: Milou Rohde & Emma Branderhorst
DOP: Myrthe Mosterman
Sound on set: Gijs Domen
Production Design: Noa van Nielen
Costume design: Zoe Scheffer
Montage: Tessel de Vries
Music: Hans Nieuwenhuijsen
Sound design: Gijs Domen
Producent: Nicky Onstenk (IJswater Films)

Cast

Alicia Prinsen
Astrid van Eck

Prizes

Best Dutch Live-Action Short, Cinekid Festival ’21
Crystal Bear for Best Short Film, K-plus competition, Berlinale Generation ’22
Grand Prix for Best Short film, Oscar Qualifying, Festival Regard Canada ’22
Best Film, KersVers Competition Assen ’22
Best Short Film school program, Go Short Festival, Nijmegen ’22
Best film Schooljury, 20e Plein La Bobine ‘22

Festivals

41st Netherlands Film Festival – short film selection
Netherlands, september 2021 – Nominated Debut Competition

35th Cinekid – Best Dutch Short Film Competition
Netherlands, October 2021 – Winner Best Nederlandse Korte Film

2021 HER Film Festival
Netherlands, october 2021

72nd Berlinale – Generation Competition
Germany, February 2022, International première – Winner Krystal Bear Generation Kplus – Best Short Film

42nd International Filmfestival Assen – Competition Noordsterren
Netherlands, March 2022

39th BUFF Film Festival Malmö – Short Film Panorama
Sweden, March 2022

16th International Frauen* Film Fest Dortmund & Köln
Germany, March 2022

26th Regard Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay – Official competition
Canada, March 2022 – Winner Grand Prix – Best Film

14th Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen – Dutch competition
Netherlands, April 2022 – Winner Audience Award High school Students

25th Brussel Short Film Festival – International competition
Belgium, April 2022

2022 Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival/ Short Film Festival – International competition
Germany, May 2022

20th Plein la Bobine 2022 Film Festival – 12+ competition
France, May 2022 – Winner Middle School jury

10th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival – Short Film Competition
Poland, May 2022

19th Vienne International Short Film festival – Non-competitive program
Wenen, May 2022

24th Mo&Friese Junges Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg – International Competition
Germany, June 2022

14th Short Waves Festival
Poland, June 2022

26th VERS Film Awards – Official selection, Amsterdam
Netherlands, June 2022

12th Figari International Short Film Fest – Videomarket, Sardinia
Italy, June 2022

18th FEST New Directors | New Films Festival 2022 – Teen competition FESTinha SUB16
Portugal, June 2022

OFF – Odense International Film Festival – International competition & Youth competition
Denmark, August 2022

15th Filem’On International Film Festival – ECFA Award: European Short Film competition, Brussel
Belgium, October 2022

41st Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival – Short Film competition
Finland, November 2022

Synopsis

In the film we follow 15-year-old Ruby. During her period, she doesn’t dare to ask her mother for tampons or sanitary pads because she knows that money is tight. She tries to fix it herself. With the film we tackle the theme of period poverty.

The story behind Spotless

Research by development organization Plan International shows that roughly 9% of Dutch women between the ages of 12-25 don’t always have money to buy menstrual products. Menstrual products are seen as a luxury product in the Netherlands (and many other countries). At the Food Bank, for example, they are not donated and the insurance does not reimburse them. Women who can’t afford it struggle. Spotless/Vlekkeloos tells the story of many, unheard of women, with the aim of opening the conversation and breaking the taboo about period poverty.