By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
A Malay coming of age film about a girl transforming into a monster after her first period has faced censorship in its home country, reflecting a broader hesitation to portray menstruation on screen.
Films have historically depicted a girl's first period as either monstrous or socially isolating. In "Carrie" , the protagonist is harassed with tampons after her first period. In "Ginger Snaps" , a teenager’s first period leads to a werewolf transformation. Outside horror, Judy Blume's novel "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret", a candid portrayal of menstruation, faced bans in some US schools. Pixar's "Turning Red" uses a giant red panda as a metaphor for puberty. Now, Amanda Nell Eu's debut film "Tiger Stripes," releasing in the US, portrays 12 year old Zaffan turning into a were tiger after her first period.
Young people often learn about periods from pop culture. Sanitary product ads have historically used blue liquid instead of red blood, and the word "period" wasn’t used on TV until 1985. Often, periods are shown with disgust, perpetuating stigma and shame.
Dr. Bee Hughes, a researcher and senior lecturer in Media, Culture & Communication, notes that menstrual taboos vary widely. In Western culture, embarrassment around menstruation can lead to "period poverty," while in some cultures, periods are surrounded by superstition. "Tiger Stripes" reflects this, depicting girls washing period pads to avoid bad luck.
Horror films have embraced menstruation as a transformative rite of passage, often using it as a powerful storytelling device. "Carrie" marked the first time menstrual blood appeared on screen, while "Ginger Snaps" intertwined menstruation with monstrousness, referring to periods as "the Curse."
"Tiger Stripes," the first Malay film screened at Cannes, faced censorship in Malaysia, including the removal of a scene showing period blood on a pad. Director Amanda Nell Eu was baffled by this decision, pointing out the inconsistency with other graphic content allowed in the film. Eu noticed that open conversations about menstruation among women often stopped when men entered the room, highlighting ongoing discomfort with the topic.
Despite censorship, "Tiger Stripes" uses horror elements to create a fairytale that speaks to the confusion and transformation of puberty. The film and others like "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" suggest that menstruation can be portrayed as a positive transformation rather than something to be feared or shamed.
Visibility and honest depictions of menstruation in film and TV, such as in "Big Mouth," "I May Destroy You," and "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret," are crucial to combatting shame. "Tiger Stripes" reframes Zaffan’s transformation as empowering rather than terrifying, illustrating that periods need not be confined to horror narratives. Films like these show that menstruation can be celebrated as a significant, transformative moment.