Dying to be Thin: Anorexia on Film

We live in an image obsessed culture. Turn on the TV, open a newspaper, browse the magazine aisle at chapters, or even log on to yahoo and you're bound to be assaulted by the shallowness of contemporary media. Profile comparisons of celebrities pre and post Atkins, diet ads galore, and twig-figure women left, right, and center. An alien visitor could be easily forgiven for assuming our entire system of mass media is devoted to keeping the population up-to-date on a) how our favourite celebrities look and b) how we should.

Hollywood is one of the worst offenders; if we aren't fawning over the waif-like Keira Knightley or Nicole Kidman, we're gabbing with friends about how much we admire Christian Bale or Renee Zellweger for dropping/gaining 70 pounds between movies. The modern movie theatre has become, to a large extent, a breeding ground for depression, perception issues, and eating disorders.

In a small break in programming from Canada's Top Ten, the Pacific Cinematheque offers an antidote to cinema-inspired anorexia as they screen THIN, the recent, highly praised American documentary which follows the lives of four women with anorexia nervosa. Admission is by donation only, and will be followed up by a post-screening discussion with Dr. Samantha Keller of St. Paul's Hospital. If you've dealt with disordered eating yourself, have a loved one who has, or are simply intrigued by its all too pertinent subject matter, the film is bound to be compelling, and is only showing on Wednesday night at 7:30. More after the jump...

At any moment, about half of the North American population is dieting. For some, this interest in health and appearance turns to obsession. According to Statistics Canada, in the mid-90s 4 to 7 percent of women aged 15-25 were diagnosed as suffering from either anorexia or bulimia. The mortality rate of Eating Disordered patients is higher than any other mental illness, and 15-20 percent of sufferers can expect to die from the disorder. Not to mention it must be one of the most underreported mental illnesses, with numerous individuals suffering alone, remaining hidden from society and the medical world. A disordered product of their surrounding culture, they now find themselves forced to hide from it. The associated shame and self-loathing that prevent so many young women and men from seeking treatment are bound to be focused on in the documentary.

Photographer Laura Greenfield attempts to "put a human face on these sobering statistics" by spending time inside Florida's Renfrew Center, an inpatient treatment program for women battling disordered eating. The film follows four women aged 15-30 as they go through everything from weight checks and therapy sessions to intense confrontations with family. Even the mealtimes are bound to be packed with more convincing emotional weight than you'd ever find in a typical Hollywood tearjerker.

Spending six months at the center, Greenfield was able to gain the women's trust and friendship; could crack their masked facades and actually begin to understand these girls. Eating disorders remain one of the most mysterious and scary of mental illnesses, and "THIN", met with numerous awards upon its release, seems like the best attempt thus far to offer a glimpse into this mysterious, affluent affliction.

The director's statement is well worth reading... it's available at the film's main site, where you can read more about the women, as well as the connected book of photographs. The movie, eventually released by HBO was also distributed with an in-depth Guide to Recognizing and Dealing with Eating Disorders.

However, the best online resource for those wanting to know more about disordered eating would be the National Eating Disorders Information Centre.

Vancouver itself is home to one of Canada's strongest eating disorders programs at St. Paul's Hospital, where they offer extensive in and outpatient support... full information is available at their site.

More details on the film are available through Pacific Cinematheque, located at 1131 Howe Street. Admission is by donation. Screens at 7:30.

photos courtesy of HBO