The Substance

«The Substance is a film about female bodies. How they are always subject to scrutiny, fantasies and criticism within the public space. How we, as women, are led to think that we have no choice but to be perfect/sexy/smiling/thin/young/beautiful in order to have value in society. Everywhere around us, in advertisements, films, magazines, versions of ourselves that are the fruit of others' imagination are put on display. Always beautiful versions. And thin. And young. And sexy. And if we dare to break away from those standards, be it by age, weight, curves, society tells us that we are finished. No one wants to see us anymore. Nobody wants us on the screens anymore. Nobody wants us on the covers of magazines. On the threshold of my 40 years I was filled with great sadness because I thought it was the end. They had made me believe that my life was over when I was only 40. I was convinced that at a certain age I would have no value. So I decided to write this film. To face it. And to make a political statement: these ideas must disappear. Genre films are political. In this film bodies are bullied, ridiculed, destroyed in the same way that society destroys women every day. It will be a bloodbath. But it will also make people laugh. Because I know of no better weapon than satire to show the world the absurdity of its own rules.» - Coralie Fargeat.