Our Body

Claire Simon's 2023 French documentary was shot in the gynaecology department of a public hospital in Paris. The camera is present at examinations, births, abortion consultations, cancer treatment and gender transition; every patient appears with consent. The structure proceeds by age. It begins with a young patient and moves towards old age, showing the relationship of the female body with the medical institution at every stage. The narrative does not comment; how things are said is recorded as much as what. Simon fell ill during filming and enters the film as a patient herself. That moves the documentary out of observation into a shared position; the running time is close to three hours, in keeping with the scope. Who it's for: those who like observational documentary and accounts of the health system. Who it's not for: viewers uncomfortable with medical imagery; the film shows examinations and operations directly.