It's Jules' birthday and ya know what she really wants? Jeremih sang it best: "Birthday Sex". She and her roommate, Marge, agree to Operation Penetration but when Jules finds Dale, a surprisingly suitable suitor, doubts creep in. Her inner monologue (personified by a dilator puppet) warns her not to rush as she stubbornly pushes ahead. She's never done this before, after all. And she's not even sure she can. But she sure as hell will try.

Tell us more...

Impenetrable follows Jules, a gal in her mid-20s who presents with confidence, sex appeal, and a whole lot of defensive, snarky pizzazz. But deep down, Jules isn't the gal she wants to be. A medical condition called vaginismus keeps her from reaching the level of intimacy she wants. And unfortunately, Jules' vagina isn't the only thing that doesn't let people in. Her inability to open up to others hasn't helped her relationship goals and she fears she's becoming increasingly unlovable. We see all of her inner turmoil play out as she talks to an anthropomorphized version of the very thing that should be fixing her: the dilator set.

I think it's generally safe to say, we've all had moments when we wish our bodies were different. Thinner, fitter, taller, can my butt cheeks be a little less hairy?! Moments like this. My whole life, I wished my body was different. Apart from the usual woes of adolescence, complaints, and comparisons, I had another bodily frustration working against me. Until I was 21, I did not have a "normal," functioning vagina, and let me tell ya, it was a big ol' bummer! Here's a little personal timeline that you didn't ask for but you're gonna GET!! 

The "Gine-Line"

• Sweet 18-year-old Geens diagnosed with vaginismus, trying to be all sexy in her high school's production of "The Wedding Singer." Nice try ya virgin, you can't even use a tampon yet. 
• Thanks to a surprise double ovarian cyst removal, 21-year-old Geena learns she doesn't have vaginismus! Her crotch problem (a partially imperforate hymen) can be remedied with a simple surgery! 
• A few months after the cysts, Geena gets a hymenectomy, effectively fixing her penetration problem. Her college roommates throw her the "Cheers to new Vag-innings" party of her dreams. 

I’m very lucky that I was able to get the care and eventual answers I needed. The troubling part about women’s health is the lack of conversation around it. I didn’t even ask a doctor about this problem until I was in my later high school years, chalking up all my years struggling to use tampons as “operator error.”
And when I did it wasn’t exactly the right diagnosis. Vaginismus is a relatively common issue despite its low reported percentage. Lots of women and people with vaginas could be suffering through painful insertions and just feeling too much shame to talk about it or ask about it. 

Great question. The movies and TV shows I’ve seen about women and sexuality have mainly centered around the war against slut-shaming. Look at her crush the patriarchy with her sexual adventures! You go, girl! (Disclaimer: I’m ALL for these stories. Don’t get me wrong.) But I feel like we don't see much of the flip side! Over the years as I’ve told people about my experience, I’m met with similar tales of struggle in looking for medical answers to reproductive organ issues. The shame and secrecy that comes with women’s health problems ought to be addressed and also happens to be a bit of a comedic gold mine. 

I think now more than ever, we need to see stories about women in as many forms as possible. And with the recent attack on women's reproductive rights in the US, stories about our bodies feel absolutely crucial. Perhaps this is heavy-handed, but telling this story feels like my own little rebellion.

Impenetrable didn't start as a short film. One lifetime ago in 2020, I started writing this as a 30-minute episodic series. 

I wrote the pilot episode, made an outline for season 1, wrote drafts of episodes, and did some game-planning for seasons 2 and 3. For over a year, I worked primarily on the pilot episode with help from my wonderful writing mentor, Gin Spragg. I entered into pitch contests, submitted for feedback on websites, and even talked to a producer who thought the story was compelling but couldn't sell it with a nobody like me playing Jules.  My words, not his. 

So then I thought, "Well I gotta prove that I CAN carry a series! Even if I don't have the name or credits currently!" Enter my lovely production pals at Offbeat Films to start making plans to shoot the pilot episode. Only to realize there was a much better, more cost-effective approach to take. Synthesize Impenetrable: the series into a delicious Costco sample size short film, (hopefully) hit the film festival circuit, and (very hopefully) see if anyone enjoyed the sample enough to make the full meal deal. 

Needless to say, it's been a process. But I have high hopes for making this into a series and think that with your help, this short film could be a solid step in the right direction. 

Impenetrable will feel like a glorious love child of these shows. It'll do its best to find the balance between absurdity, vulgarity, and genuine emotion. A lot like these amazing shows!  

With you joining the team, all of our production dreams will come true. We're set to film October 22nd - 24th and have lots to do before that. Storyboards have been made, rehearsals have begun, locations are being scouted, and we are making moves! With funding in place, these moves can become actual, glorious plans. 

Once it's all finished, we'll hold a screening event in Seattle, WA, and then our little movie will take off on the festival circuit! Then, in a little over a year, we'll release Impenetrable publically via Vimeo for all to enjoy. 

So please, if you're willing, be a part of our goofy crew! Here are some ways:

- Pledge money for production

- Follow our page for updates

- Spread the word on social media or by word of mouth or carrier pigeon! 

We have to reach 80% of our $20,000 goal and we know we can do it with you on board!

Listen, this is gonna make a lot of eyes roll and maybe a little bile come up. But this story is REALLY about self-acceptance! We should all be a lot nicer to ourselves and the one body we have! And if this highly personal story inspires someone to be a little more honest, or investigate the condition, or be nicer to themselves, then I'll be absolutely tickled. 

And to all you vagina-owners out there: This glorious system of organs we have can experience a lot of trouble. And apparently, people think they can have a big say about them too. And that makes me pretty mad. So I'm gonna keep gabbing about my parts if you want to join me.