Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, United States, 2024
JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA, a delightfully quirky short film written and directed by Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, is literally a satirical drama about a woman's period. Set in England in 1813, Miss Estrogenia Talbot’s (Julia Aks) long-awaited marriage proposal goes a bit wrong, when she gets her period and her clueless suiter, Mr. Dickley mistakes her blood for some sort of battle wound. After gallantly picking her up and rushing her to her home to rescue her from certain death, Estrogenia must break the news to him that what she is in fact experiencing is not only normal but occurs every month, to which he replies, “Blood hell!” Exactly. Filled with puns galore and hilarious performances, this short film also looks beautiful. The production design and costumes are period-perfect and feel epic for such a satirical film. It’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY meets THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and it works.