Film Craft > Film Craft

VIVA LA VULVA

SOMESUCH, London / LIBRESSE / 2019

Awards:

Silver Cannes Lions
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Film

Overview

Credits

Overview

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

Viva La Vulva is a love song to a part of us that doesn’t get enough love.

Set to the iconic track ‘Take Yo’ Praise’ by Camille Yarbrough, it’s a lip-sync music video with a twist, featuring a beautiful diversity of vulvas of every shape and colour, all singing loud and proud to the equally diverse women who love them back.

The film subverts multiple taboos on the way: oysters, conch shells, juicy fruits, cupcakes, the infamous camel-toe that women get regularly shamed for, and we even see Barbie popping up, anxiously looking for her genitals.

The film ends on behind the scene interviews of the cast, opening up about the issue, the shame, the ignorance and reclaiming their bodies.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

A toxic cocktail of historical prudery and censorship around women’s genitals, and the recent explosion of porn, have pressurised young women to believe their genitals should look a certain way: the myth of the ‘perfect’ vulva

The intimate care category had historically been so clinical and euphemistic that it enforced these taboos - many women bought and used the products in shame, like a dirty secret.

As a result, almost half of women (44%) admit they feel embarrassed by their vulva, many women ignore what normal looks like (7/10), demand a ‘designer vagina’ (labioplasty is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world), and millions avoid cervical cancer tests over embarrassment, putting their health at stake.

We set out to demolish the conventions of the category and dynamite the myth of the perfect vulva. All to show that there’s only one perfect vulva: Yours.

Tell the jury about the production design/art direction. You may wish to comment on choices, challenges or effects.

Production Direction was critical in creating a new visual language to celebrate the female form in all its beautiful diversity: vulvas in every shape, colour and artistic form singing to the women of all ages who love them back. 450 vulvas appear over 45 scenes against a carefully constructed palette of natural environments and vulva skin tones, all created by an all-female team of artists, illustrators, embroiderers, dress designers, purse makers, puppeteers, food stylists, cupcake chefs, life drawing and balloon artists, motion graphics and special effects, cinematographer and director.

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