Approach/Withdraw

The(ir) Blurb...

Approach/Withdraw is a ten-minute, 16mm film narrated by Rebecca Root, which explores how public understandings of oestrogen and sex hormones affect the sense of self and relationships of those who feel at odds with their assigned gender. The majority of the material featured either relate to the production of pharmaceutical oestrogen (the contraceptive pill, or hormones used by trans women) or contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals – substances that behave like oestrogen when they are absorbed into the body. They are common in plastics, fabric dyes and soy products. The film also incorporates Christian imagery, 19th century phrenological head casts and photographs taken by 20th century sexologists, to illustrate ways in which contemporary identities bear the marks of religious and scientific precepts.