"In
9th grade I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I have little memory of it."
Thus begins the filmmaker's story of her ten year struggle with the disorder.
The onset was rather sudden. She was told by a modelling agency that she should
lose fifteen pounds. It was her first experience of "not being good enough."
This compelling film documents Laura's descent from a healthy, attractive teenager into one starving herself to the verge of death, obsessed with exercise, unable to sleep, solitary and secretive. It follows her story from the point of view of her parents and best friend. Anti depressants and psychiatry provided the impetus to begin the assent to normality. Laura's concludes, " No good comes from silence. Living with an eating disorder is a trauma; surviving it is a triumph!"
32 min. Video or DVD. Sale $295. Video rental $55.
Student Academy Award, 2000
First Place, Marin County Festival of Shorts, 2000
Selected Video for Young Adults, ALA, 2001
Hot Springs Documentary Festival, 2000
"Could be used in counseling as well as with psychology, health, and home living classes." School Library Journal
"an excellent portrayal of the difficulties a young person encounters in identifying the psychophysiological signs of anorexia nervosa." Science Books & Films
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