The story of Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels
Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels isn't trying to be one thing — it's four things at once, and that's precisely the point. This 2021 anthology film weaves together stories from Germany, Israel, Sweden, and Brazil, each one centered on a woman or girl confronting what she wants, who she loves, and the messy reality of having those desires collide with the world around her. The film bounces between continents and characters, but there's a unifying thread: the question of what it means to speak your truth when society, family, or circumstance keeps pressing you to stay silent. Some stories land harder than others. That's the risk you take with any anthology.
Behind the making of Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels
The film's most distinctive feature is its directorial lineup. Rather than a single auteur, Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels brings together five different voices: Marie Jardillier, Tzurit Hartzion, Esther Bialas, Leandro Goddinho, and Rushema Vinberg. Each director helms their own segment, which means the film doesn't have a uniform visual or tonal signature — something that works against it in some moments and for it in others. The ensemble cast includes Siham Shurafa, Lisa Henni, Dafi Alpern, Cécile Cassel, Eva Nürnberg, Anouk Bödeker, and Carolina Bianchi, performers who bring genuine vulnerability to their roles even when the material around them wavers. At 92 minutes, the film moves quickly through its stories, never lingering long enough to fully exhaust any single narrative thread — which can feel both refreshing and frustrating depending on what you're looking for. The international scope reflects a genuine attempt to center female desire and agency across different cultural contexts, a goal that deserves recognition even when the execution isn't always seamless.
What makes Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels stand out despite its uneven reception
Here's the thing about anthology films: they live or die on specificity and emotional truth, not polish. Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels has moments where it absolutely nails both. What's striking is how the film refuses to make desire neat or morally uncomplicated — these aren't women finding perfect love or total liberation. They're contending with real constraints: family expectations, cultural pressure, the gap between what they want and what they can actually have. The performances carry a lot of the weight here. You can feel Siham Shurafa's internal conflict in her face, the way she holds back and then doesn't. Cécile Cassel brings a kind of wry sophistication to her segment that cuts through the sentimentality some of the other stories lean into. The film doesn't shy away from sex, heartbreak, or the complicated feelings that sit between desire and shame — which, for some viewers, will be exactly what they came for, and for others, might feel like it's trying too hard to be provocative. IMDb users have given it a 4.2/10 rating, which suggests the film's gamble didn't pay off universally, but ratings don't always capture what a film is attempting. Sometimes a story just doesn't land, and that's okay. What matters is whether the attempt itself was genuine.
Where to stream Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels online
If you're curious about Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels, you can currently stream it on Prime Video. The film's availability may shift depending on licensing agreements, so if you're planning to watch, check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page to confirm it's still there. Movie OTT tracks streaming availability across platforms in real time, so you won't waste time hunting for where a title actually lives. Prime Video's catalog is deep enough that international anthology films like this one find a home there alongside bigger releases, which means you can queue it up alongside whatever else is on your watchlist without needing multiple subscriptions.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels?
The film was directed by five different filmmakers — Marie Jardillier, Tzurit Hartzion, Esther Bialas, Leandro Goddinho, and Rushema Vinberg — each handling one segment of the anthology. This multi-director approach gives the film its varied perspective but also contributes to its uneven tone.
Q: Where can I watch Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels?
Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels is available to stream on Prime Video. Availability may vary by region, so check the Where to Watch widget for your location.
Q: Is Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels based on a true story?
No, the film is a fictional anthology. While it draws from real emotional and cultural contexts — particularly around desire, identity, and female agency across different countries — the stories themselves are original creations by the five directors.
Q: How long is Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels?
The film runs 92 minutes total, which means each segment is relatively brief. This pacing allows the film to move between stories quickly, though some viewers might wish for more time with certain characters.
Q: What rating does Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels have?
The film currently holds a 4.2/10 on IMDb. It's a divisive title — some viewers connect deeply with its intimate approach to female desire, while others find it uneven or overly sentimental in places.
Final thoughts on Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels
Upon Her Lips: Pure Feels won't be for everyone, and that's not a cop-out — it's honest. The film swings for something ambitious: an international conversation about what women want, told through their own voices and perspectives. It stumbles sometimes. The segments don't all carry the same weight, and the quick cuts between stories can feel disorienting rather than illuminating. But there's real feeling here, real attempts to capture the contradiction of wanting something badly while being terrified to reach for it. If you're drawn to intimate, character-driven cinema that isn't afraid to sit with uncomfortable emotions, it's worth the 92 minutes. Just go in knowing it's unpolished — and maybe that's exactly what makes it honest.