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One woman's journey towards self-acceptance, in a world obsessed with
the perfect body image.
the perfect body image.
Synopsis
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Beauty Mark is for anyone who has ever felt invisible because they didn’t conform to our culture’s impossible, unhealthy, abnormal beauty standards. This courageous film examines popular culture’s toxic emphasis on weight and looks through the eyes of Boulder-based psychotherapist and former world-class triathlete Diane Israel– who tells her own story while interviewing other champion athletes, body builders, fashion models and inner-city teens about their experiences relating to self-image.
This deeply personal and funny film asks some tough questions … How do our families influence our relationships with our own bodies? How do popular culture “standards” get inside of our hearts and heads? In what ways can sports actually make us sicker instead of healthier? |
Former champion athletes, including David Scott, Ellen Hart Pena and Brenda Maller share their stories while notable luminaries such as playwright Eve Ensler, author Paul Campos and cultural critic Naomi Wolf provide their insights.
An elite runner and triathlete until age 28, Diane won the Pikes Peak Marathon and several other major races after settling in Colorado in the early 1980s. She retired from competition after collapsing from anorexia (sometimes called “athletic bulimia”, a disorder many athletes suffer from, but which few experts knew anything about at that time). Diane went back to school to become a psychotherapist and is now a professor of human development at Naropa University, a counselor and the co-owner of a women’s fitness center. She continues to run, but strives to live her life at a less frantic pace. |
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“Diane Israel’s Beauty Mark really leaves its own mark on the viewer as it reveals the intricacies, complexities and often anguish of living through an eating disorder. She has opened her heart and mind to us in a very thoughtful, inviting and provocative way that humanizes the story of the journey |
“A fresh, honest film about self-image and the disconnect between our minds and our bodies. Beauty Mark exposes the myriad emotional, cultural and psychological influences that compel us to measure ourselves against an elusive standard of physical perfection-sometimes at the price of our own health. Diane Israel’s story is full of wisdom, hope and humor. An enlightening experience for all ages.” |
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“This courageous movie describes how apparent the eating disorder can be to both the person with the eating disorder and family members, and yet, so eloquently shows the overwhelming complexity for all concerned to address. Diane’s unending belief in the power of love and the possibility for change is palpable.” |
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“Beauty Mark is an inspiring and powerful documentary that reveals how difficult it is for many female athletes to have a genuinely healthy, joyful relationship with their bodies. We applaud Diane Israel for telling her poignant story. The movie beautifully reveals the factors that ended her career as a triathlete and the indomitable passion that has enabled Diane to regain her health and her love of athletics and to become the role model she is today.” |
“Beauty Mark is a wonderfully made film about that line women straddle between excellence and unhealthy obsession…in other words that delicate concept of balance; in this case dealing with athleticism. I loved how the story was grounded in one very interesting woman and her family dynamics but felt the interviews with so many others touched all kind of nuances about this issue I’d never even considered. This film touches on so many issues in this culture, in this time. It’s a powerhouse.” |
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“I think the topic is extremely important and very relevant. I think you have found a way in to some very important issues, which will make them accessible and relevant to the average college student. Diane has a very compelling presence in the film, and her life-story certainly contributes to the discussion of the topics presented.” |
