The lack of complex portrayals of plus-size people on screen is a featured topic in a new documentary that raises questions about why fat characters are frequently the punchline or the focus of pity. Siobhan McSweeney, well-known for her role in Derry Girls, joins the documentary to promote a fairer and more balanced portrayal of fat people in the media and society.
Your Fat Friend, filmed over six years, tells Aubrey Gordon’s story, a size 26 woman hoping to shed light on the stigmatisation of fat people around the world after her brutal and honest online post went viral. The documentary tackles societal perceptions of fat people and body weight in general, establishing a realistic experience of what it means to live with a larger body. Despite the cold and wet weather in Scotland, audiences waiting to watch a preview screening of the documentary discussed the lack of representation and continued stigmatisation of plus-sized individuals in the film and television industry.
Jeanie Finlay, the filmmaker, sought to create a nuanced view of body size tackling a topic that is typically not spoken of and people who are not in the spotlight. She believes that exploring the subject more deeply is essential, as it has the potential to shift society’s perception of fat people. The film’s critics have praised it for being an insightful view of fatness, often neglected or rarely acknowledged by Hollywood.
Fat characters have long been inadvertently characterised in literature and films, being drawn towards the negative characteristics. Creating these tropes when it comes to the portrayal of fat people reinforces negative stereotypes, according to Finlay. The industry needs to commission a more extensive variety of scripts and think about characters in less conventional ways to address this issue. Progress may be visible, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph, a full-figured actress, becoming the frontrunner for best supporting actress at the Oscars. However, while some change has occurred, it is still not enough.
Your Fat Friend aims to reignite a desire for authenticity and truthfulness in terms of human bodies and hopes to see that properly portrayed on screens, both big and small. The documentary is released in cinemas on the 9th of February
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