AceShowbiz - Lena Dunham insists the themes of her new movie remain as "relevant today" as they were in medieval times. Directing "Catherine, Called Birdy" - which focuses on issues faced by young women in medieval England, the 36-year-old star thinks it's sad that the pace of progression remains so slow.

"We like to think that we've improved upon history and this is almost 1,000 years ago and yet so many of the themes of the film continue to be relevant today, with the recent sort of political changes in the US, it's something that feels maddeningly close," she shared.

In the film, the teenage daughter of a greedy lord tries to avoid being married off for money. And Lena thinks some of the themes are hugely relevant to modern-day America, where the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights earlier this year.

The actress told the "Backstage" podcast, "This idea of bodily autonomy being so important to Birdy, and something that she's fighting for, feels very, very familiar - and it's the struggle that every, not just woman, every person in the US I know is engaged in and thinking about."

"It's always frustrating when a historical piece feels so current because we like to think that we've made changes that make history seem brutal, when in this case it doesn't really."

Bella Ramsey plays the part of Birdy in the movie, and she thinks it's a "basic instinct" for women to want to have control over their own bodies. She said, "Birdy's fighting for bodily autonomy, but doesn't realize that that's what she's doing."

"It's just a basic instinct is to have some form of control over your own life and your own body, and she's not doing this as a political movement, it's just a basic need."