The pelvic floor is a muscle group that hardly anyone talks about, even though it plays a central role in health, sexuality and quality of life. The filmmaker sets out in search of answers: Why is the subject still taboo when millions of people experience conditions such as incontinence, vaginismus or pelvic organ prolapse?
The film follows people at different stages of life: Vanessa, who lived with vaginismus for years without a diagnosis; Uta, who struggles with incontinence during menopause; and Volker, whose pelvic floor causes lower back pain. The filmmaker also puts herself to the test in an effort to raise awareness of this often-overlooked part of the body and help ensure that problems are recognised earlier.
The human intimate area and its possible dysfunctions are still surrounded by taboo in our society and often receive far too little attention. UNTER DER GÜRTELLINIE takes a closer look at a subject that affects many people: the structure and functions of the pelvic floor.
For the motion design, the aim was to make the medical content accessible, playful and easy to understand — as anatomically accurate as necessary and as abstract as possible. Stylistically, the project uses a cut-paper aesthetic with layered depth. This reflects the idea of uncovering something hidden while also suggesting a deeper exploration of a subject that is usually only addressed on the surface.
The simplified illustrations, created in a fresh and modern colour palette, explain physical processes triggered by pregnancy, sexual arousal or a weakened pelvic floor. The same cut-paper language also appears in the title sequence, lower thirds and end credits, creating a cohesive visual framework for the entire film.
Regie
Eva-Maria Schauer
Bildgestaltung
Daniel Grootz
Motion Design
Julia Alena Schneider
Filmmusik
Noëmi Amelia Rammelt
Sound Design
Armin Biemel, Moritz Peter
Set-Ton/Originalton
Julia Pavic, Malte Weitkamp
Eva-Maria Schauer
Bildgestaltung
Daniel Grootz
Motion Design
Julia Alena Schneider
Filmmusik
Noëmi Amelia Rammelt
Sound Design
Armin Biemel, Moritz Peter
Set-Ton/Originalton
Julia Pavic, Malte Weitkamp
Ton
Armin Biemel, Frederike Anna Hagedorn, Cyrille Mpondo
Protagonist*in
Uta Levecke, Anna Müller, Volker Pfister, Vanessa Schulzendorf
Sprecherin
Eva-Maria Schauer
Darsteller*in/Protagonist*in
Kerstin Böser, Ilknur Göktekin, Annette Maleika
Produktion
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH
Armin Biemel, Frederike Anna Hagedorn, Cyrille Mpondo
Protagonist*in
Uta Levecke, Anna Müller, Volker Pfister, Vanessa Schulzendorf
Sprecherin
Eva-Maria Schauer
Darsteller*in/Protagonist*in
Kerstin Böser, Ilknur Göktekin, Annette Maleika
Produktion
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH