Photo courtesy of AnC Movies
Throughout history, there have been many misconceptions about female sexuality and female orgasms.
Greenfield’s own AnC Movies—and its wealth of Butler University alumni— set out to fix that, with musical numbers.
The film “Science, Sex, and the Ladies” seeks to give female sexuality a new voice.
Those behind it describe it as a new type of nonfiction movie. Their heavily researched argument is narrated and acted out by an ensemble cast.
“I think that any film that cuts through assumptions, misconceptions or just plain ignorance in order to lay out the facts for its viewers is important,” said composer Nathaniel Blume, music composition ‘03. “Female sexuality is particularly overlooked and unappreciated in our culture, and this film holds nothing back as it tackles each aspect of the topic.”
Butler brains are the ones behind the endeavor: director Trisha Borowicz, chemistry ‘02; choreographer Heidi Keller Phillips, dance performance ’95; and Blume, are all Butler graduates, along with three of the actresses: Joanna Winston, theater ’08; Abigail Wright, theater ’08; and Katie Sheets, theater ’07.
The movie is a result of research mostly done by Borowicz, inspired by a philosophy of biology class and an introduction to gender studies class she took her senior year at Butler.
As her ideas progressed more and more after talking to her two other directors and founders of AnC Movies, Borowicz’s idea became a movie specifically about female orgasms.
The movie takes the audience through detailed descriptions of physical sexual release, discusses the origins of American ideas of female sexuality, investigates popular scientific theories about sex and explores the world of pornography and its impact.
“It’s at times enlightening, at times reassuring and often times shocking, all the while having fun with itself and the viewer,” Blume said.
Despite their humor, though, the people behind “Science, Sex, and the Ladies” mean business. Their website states implicitly that they are not some pay-cable sexumentary full of unsubstantiated arguments.
The people working for the movie said they are grateful that Borowicz gave so much time and effort to making the movie just right.
“[Borowicz’s] writing made the information accessible, something that text regarding sexual experience, growth, experimentation or history of female sexual experience often leaves one wanting,” Winston said.
The movie troupe recently started a 30-day Kickstarter fund-raiser—the largest online funding platform for creative projects.
They are trying to raise $20,000 to finish the movie. At press time, they had 70 backers and $6,140 pledged—including a pledge from author and long-time female sexuality activist Betty Dodson.
“The money we raise is going toward our score and sound finalization,” Borowicz said. “The movie is finished, essentially, except for the score. We wanted to do it the way it should be done. Sound is notoriously overlooked in indie movies, and we didn’t want to make that mistake.”
For more information about the movie, visit sciencesexandtheladies.com.
