Period. End of Sentence.

Period. End of Sentence.
Film poster
Directed by	Rayka Zehtabchi
Produced by	Rayka Zehtabchi Guneet Monga Melissa Berton Garrett Schiff Lisa Taback
Starring	Arunachalam Muruganantham
Cinematography	Sam Davis
Edited by	Sam Davis
Music by	Giosue Greco, Dan Romer, Osei Essed
Production companies	The PAD Project Action India Girls Learn International The Feminist Majority Foundation Oakwood School Sikhya Entertainment
Distributed by	Netflix
Release dates	April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05) (Cleveland International Film Festival) February 19, 2019 (2019-02-19) (United States)
Running time	25 minutes
Country	United States[1][2]
Language	Hindi

Period. End of Sentence. is a 2018 documentary short film directed by Rayka Zehtabchi about Indian women leading a quiet sexual revolution. The film stars Arunachalam Muruganantham, Shabana Khan, Gouri Choudari, Ajeya, and Anita.^[3][4] The documentary short follows a group of local women in Hapur, India, as they learn how to operate a machine that makes low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell to other women at affordable prices. This not only helps to improve feminine hygiene by providing access to basic products ^[5] but also supports and empowers the women to shed the taboos in India surrounding menstruation – all while contributing to the economic future of their community.^[6] The film is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Coimbatore, India.^[7]

Plot

Women are in charge of a tremendous change in a Kathikera village in the Hapur district which is 60 km away from Delhi, India. They battle the pervasive shame associated with menstruation. The lack of access to pads among these women for centuries resulted in health issues, school absences, and eventual dropout of the girls. However, when a sanitary pad factory is set up in the hamlet, the women are taught how to produce and sell their own pads, which empowers the women there. They chose the brand name "FLY" for their company because they want women "to arise".^[8]

Reception

Critical response

Period. End of Sentence has an approval rating of 75% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on eight reviews, and an average rating of 6.3/10.^[9]

Accolades

• Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) – 91st Academy Awards^[10][11]
• Winner of the Academy Award qualifying festivals for Best Short Doc at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the Traverse City Film Festival as well as many others including AFIFest, and Savannah.^[12]

References

1. "Period. End of Sentence". Cleveland International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
2. "PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE". AFI FEST. Archived from the original on 2019-09-15. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
3. "'Period. End of Sentence.' Short documentary about menstruation and sanitary pads". People's World. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
4. "The AFI DOCS Interview: "Period. End of Sentence." Director Rayka Zehtabchi". blog.afi.com. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
5. Period. End of Sentence.:Documentary Short-Oscar Nominees 2019
6. "'Period. End of Sentence.' tackles the taboo of menstruation in rural India". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
7. 'Period. End of Sentence'.: Transforming a Taboo into a Cause|International Documentary Association
8. "Period. End of Sentence". The Pad Project. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
9. "Period. End of Sentence". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
10. "The list of nominees for the 91st Academy Awards|Entertainment|Alltechnotricks.com". Alltechnotricks.com. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
11. "Period. End of Sentence." wins Best Documentary Short Film-Oscars on YouTube
12. "thepadproject". thepadproject. Retrieved 2019-01-29.

Further reading

• Feinberg, Scott (January 11, 2019). "Oscars: Awards Strategist Lisa Taback Has a Very Personal Stake in This Year's Race". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2019.

External linPad project

• Period. End of Sentence. on Netflix
• Period. End of Sentence. at IMDb
• The Padproject
• Trailer

See also

• Pad Man
• Phullu
• Shinaakht
• Culture and menstruation
• Menstrual hygiene management
• WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)
• Menstrual suppression