‘This Is Endometriosis’: an Honest Portrait of an Isolating Disease
The film opens to an image of shadows dancing on a plain white wall. The voiceover recalls days spent in bed watching the light move from one side of the room to the other, a motif which encapsulates the sense of ‘time lost’ felt by many people with chronic illnesses.
The BAFTA-Winning Short Film, ‘This is Endometriosis,’ tackles a disease unknown to most, even to those who will one day be diagnosed with it. Endometriosis is a condition where cells, similar to those in the uterus lining, grow in other parts of the body, causing extreme pain and other debilitating symptoms.
In this documentary short, Georgie Wileman tells her story, from childhood, through adolescence and into her career as a photographer and videographer. Georgie deftly weaves together home-video footage to narrate her journey. Georgie explains how, growing up, she was seen as the ‘princess of the family,’ a perception she detested. Known for being the ‘drama queen’, when she first fell ill at thirteen there was a ‘sense that [she was] making it up.’
Georgie recalls that after different cocktails of medicines, multiple surgeries, and trips in and out of hospital, the days merged into one. Because it doesn't feel real, she explains, and because it’s such a misunderstood disease, it becomes easy to ‘undermine and downplay it.’ Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis messed with her head, causing her to question her own body and its pain.
On average, it takes 10 years to receive a diagnosis for endometriosis. Upon finally receiving a correct diagnosis, ‘it finally made sense’ for Georgie. Getting a diagnosis is hugely important for patients with the disease, providing them with validation, support and, most importantly, hope. After recovering from a life-changing surgery, Georgie’s mission became clear: to document the experiences of people like her with this hidden illness. Using documentation as representation, Georgie’s photography series filled a ‘need to be seen’, and created community and companionship for individuals who had spent their lives isolated by the stigma surrounding endometriosis.
This beautifully-made, tender depiction of Georgie’s experience is intensely personal, and lifts the curtain to a world that many of us know next to nothing about. Her gentle voiceover provides nuanced insights into the disease, accompanying hand-held phone footage, camcorder family videos, and cinematic shots which seamlessly tell a story of hardship and hope.
What is endometriosis?
190 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with endometriosis. It is a complex and chronic disease which affects people who menstruate from the onset of their first period through menopause. Symptoms include severe pain during menstruation, heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain throughout the month, bloating, and nausea. Until recently, this was an underexplored field in medical research, leading to many misdiagnoses and a lack of public understanding. The severity of the disease has historically been undermined, with patients repeatedly told that this is ‘just what periods feel like’, advised to take some painkillers and power through.
Projects like Georgie Wileman’s increase the visibility of the disease, so that endometriosis sufferers can be seen, believed, and supported.
Watch the 20 minute film here:
For more information about Endometriosis:
Read on for more blogs about menstruation and health:
Why Hygiene Week and Period Poverty Matters
How to have a Sustainable Period
A Guide to Checking Yourself - Breast Cancer Awareness
Author: Evie Tucker, Comms and Retail Team, Y.O.U Underwear
Images courtesy of Georgie Wileman, This Is Endometriosis
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