Exclusive Interview: Megan Davis on Art That Invites Us to Truly See One Another in ‘Hemorrhage’

Stories have the power to bring us closer—to build connection, spark empathy, and remind us that even in our most isolating moments, we are not alone. Hemorrhage is a profound example of that truth. Written by and starring Megan Davis, the gripping short film explores an intimate moment in a young couple’s life, not through broad political brushstrokes or debate, but through the deeply human experience at the center of it.

Every detail in Hemorrhage is carefully considered—from the stillness of a parked car to the subtle weight of a waiting room glance. The film follows Alex (Megan Davis) and Matteo (Adam Irigoyen) as they drive twelve hours for an abortion, only for Alex to begin hemorrhaging on the way home in a state that has criminalized the procedure. What unfolds is a quietly harrowing journey, where love, fear, and survival intersect in real time. Through grounded performances and restrained filmmaking, Megan and her team capture the enormity of a deeply personal moment—reminding us that some of the most powerful stories are the ones that appear the quietest.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Megan Davis to discuss the artistic choices behind Hemorrhage, what it means to tell a story grounded in lived experience, and how cinema can help us better understand one another.

PC: You first wrote Hemorrhage in 2018, and its emotional truth feels even more urgent today. Rather than offering explanations, you invite us into this young woman’s experience with empathy, allowing us to see the world through her eyes. Why was that intimate perspective essential to the story you wanted to tell?
Megan: I think at the time I wrote it, I was so aware of all the reasons people constantly give for why they agree or disagree with another person’s perspective or decisions. And as much as I value those conversations, I always feel like there’s an element of humanity taken out of them. When we talk about things from a purely intellectual or logistical standpoint, it becomes void of the human-ness.

Often, I find that if those same people were sitting across the table from a real human being, their perspective might shift. That’s the opportunity I believe art gives us. This was Alex’s story. And there are a million other stories out there that are completely individual and intricate in their own right.

I’m not here to tell anyone how to feel or what is right and wrong for them. You can debate viewpoints and reasoning all day. But you can’t argue with someone’s lived experience. It just is.

At the end of the day, for me, this film was my way of asking: “Are you okay with what is happening to women in the United States today?”

PC: It’s a powerful piece of art. You brought in doctors to review the script and ensure everything remained grounded in real medical experience. What shifted after those conversations, and how did their guidance impact the story you were telling?
Megan: Actually, nothing changed. I brought them in to make sure the medical aspects of the story were accurate. I had done a ton of research before and during the writing process, but I certainly don’t have years of medical school experience. It was important to me that the film felt as accurate as possible.

Every story—even a fictional one—is someone’s story. And as artists, we have a responsibility to ensure it’s grounded in truth.

PC: There’s such a groundedness and rawness in these performances, and you really feel the weight of this decision on both Alex and Matteo. What was it like finding the intersection between writing these characters on the page and then collaborating with Adam to bring their emotional truth to life on screen?
Megan: This was my first time writing and acting in a project, and I really wanted to make sure I wasn’t precious about the script. I wanted to give the other artists—the director, the cinematographer, the actors—the freedom to do their jobs and make it even better. Part of what’s so cool about film is that it’s truly a “pass the baton” collaboration, and each layer elevates the story.

I was so lucky to work with Adam because he is just incredibly talented. So many moments in the film weren’t scripted—or ended up being much stronger than what I originally wrote—and I think that happens when passionate, skilled people believe in something and come together to make it happen.

For example, Ella Lentini, our director, came up with the idea of spending a moment on each person’s face in the waiting room. It’s as if to say, “All of these people have a story. We’re telling Alex’s, but they each have an entire life that brought them here today.” There’s a word for that realization—that everyone around you is living a full, complex life. I think it’s sonder. It’s so true, and so easy to forget. That moment came entirely from Ella’s vision.

There’s also a scene before they walk into the clinic that was completely improvised and unplanned. It emerged from Alex not wanting to get out of the car once they’d parked because she was scared. Those moments were beautiful because Adam and I both deeply believed that the love Alex and Matteo share is the core of this story.

PC: There’s such a weight you feel while watching this film — one that parallels the journey these two characters are on, where everything is intimate and intentionally heavy. From how you approached it on the page and in your performance, to the choices made by your creative team behind the camera, how did you all work together to craft that emotional atmosphere?
Megan: I’m honestly so glad to hear that you feel that way, because it was so important to all of us. We had a lot of creative discussions about the intimacy of this story. This is an incredibly personal moment in people’s lives, and it deserves to be treated that way in its depiction.

Every choice—from the camera lenses, to the car, to the clinic, to the edit, to the stripped-down notes in the music—was made to reinforce that exact feeling: the closeness and the weight of this moment in their lives.

PC: As Hemorrhage continues its festival journey, audiences are clearly connecting with it in powerful ways. How has the reaction so far shaped — or reinforced — the kinds of stories you want to champion moving forward?
Megan: It has made me so happy. To have female-identifying people come up to me after the film in tears, telling me that they’ve had similar experiences, or that they were scared too, or that the form we used reminded them so much of that moment in their lives — it is truly the greatest honor of my life to make another human being feel seen, and hopefully a little more understood.

That’s all I ever want to do. Because if we can see each other — really see each other — and try to understand, maybe the world will have just a little more love than hate. A little more light than fear. And maybe we aren’t all so different or so alone after all.

To keep up with Megan, follow her on Instagram.