The Gift

New Creatives animation ‘The Gift’ delves into the myths and magic surrounding menstruation.

The Gift

Watch 'The Gift' here


This short animated film focuses on the various tropes and supernatural associations around women and periods. Laura-Beth Cowleye’s New Creatives film follows one woman dealing with cramps on her period. She is struggling through the day but something mysterious seems to be going on.  

Personally, I’ve never seen an animation or short film focusing on menstruation in a way that wasn’t purely educational so it was super interesting to see this little film. I also felt that this was a unique and unconventional perspective on periods. The supernatural element of the film blended well and I was immediately excited by the direction this film took. Various cultures have many different superstitions about periods and it was fun to see this story told in an empowering and interesting way. 

The animation style of this piece was unique and I loved the use of the form to do things that probably wouldn’t have been possible in other mediums. The flashing into the ‘supernatural’ was effective and the switching between the colour palette worked well. The imagery throughout the piece was really beautiful, especially the blood in the bathtub. I loved the little details that I noticed after multiple watches like the crystals, pictures and symbols dotted around the piece. If you hadn’t gathered, I really enjoyed this film and what it had to say! It’s definitely a must watch!


We interviewed Laura-Beth Cowley about 'The Gift', and you can read that interview here

New Creatives is supported by Arts Council England and BBC Arts. Check out our New Creatives coverage in the New Creatives Voicebox.

Header Image Credit: Provided

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