By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/23/24 – Transporting viewers to the genteel world of 18th century England, Julia Aks and Steve Pinder’s delightfully crafted short film, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, unfolds with the promise of romance and societal intrigue. The hilarious and satire-rich film captures the anticipation surrounding Miss Estrogenia’s eagerly awaited marriage proposal, only to confront an unforeseen twist when the moment is marred by an unexpected monthly visitor. With this captivating introduction, Aks and Pinder whisk audiences on a journey through the complexities of love, manners, and the whims of fate in a time when societal norms reigned supreme.
Straight away, viewers will take note of the ironic names of characters in Period Drama, such as ‘Estrogenia’, and other on-the-nose identifiers. Co-writer Julia Aks reveals, “There were multiple points during the writing process where we were like, ‘is this going to stay in here? Surely not!’ But we just kept giggling about the character names, and we thought, well, we think it’s funny, maybe somebody else will think it’s funny. Now, in our screenings so far, the names are some of the biggest laughs we get in the film.”
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Reflecting on her personal connection to the project, Aks delves into the societal stigma surrounding menstruation and the importance of embracing one’s natural body with joy and laughter. Aks and Steve Pinder aim to open hearts to their message, celebrating the complexities of menstruation amidst the backdrop of beauty and familiarity. Steve Pinder states, “We wanted the film to have a lot of humor and a lot of heart. I am not a menstrator, but I have had issues of body shame and that is one of my ties to this project. We both feel like, why are we culturally shaming people for something their bodies do naturally? Doesn’t make a lot of sense. If people can celebrate their natural body with joy and with laughter, that is absolutely what we want.” Aks additionally offers, “Menstruation is also this weird, mysterious, scientific, awful, funny thing that happens to people. To talk about it with all of those different colors in mind was something that felt really true to me. Also, packaging this conversation in something as beautiful and familiar as the world of a Jane Austen film also felt really fun and a great way to open people’s hearts to receive the message of the project.”
Through Aks’s poignant reflections on the cultural stigma surrounding menstruation and the call to embrace one’s natural self with laughter and acceptance, the film transcends mere entertainment, becoming a catalyst for societal introspection. As Aks and Pinder craft a narrative that seamlessly blends the elegance of Austen’s world with modern-day sensibilities, they invite viewers to engage in a dialogue that celebrates the human experience in all its complexity. Jane Austen’s Period Drama emerges not only as an amusing cinematic experience but also as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of laughter, empathy, and authenticity.
