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Battling Obesity NL premiere + SHORT
Documentary | Romain Bolzinger | United States | 2012 | 52 min | English spoken | no subtitlesVoorstelling: Friday 22 March 15:00 | Studio/K 2
In the United States, one in five children is obese and 400,000 people die each year as a result of being overweight. In Battling Obesity, we meet sufferers, health gurus and politicians who have declared war on the disease; as well as those who believe that big is beautiful and retailers who use obesity as a marketing strategy to sell more burgers.
In the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, being fat is a gimmick. Guests are given hospital gowns and served by nurses. Anyone who weighs over 350 pounds (160kg) receives a free meal. On the other side of the country, 13-year-old Brandon is battling the bulge. He gained weight after his older brother Eric died from problems associated with obesity. Brandon now has to take medication in order to go to the toilet and suffers from migraines. He is sent to an intensive three-week camp to exercise and lose weight.
Children are the primary target of the fight against fat. In San Francisco, fast-food restaurants are no longer allowed to give away toys unless the menu meets certain health requirements. It is hoped that the law will set an example for other cities. In the New York district of Brownsville, children learn to grow fruit and vegetables in a community garden. The district is a so-called ‘food desert’, where the nearest available fresh produce is miles away. Many children here have never seen fruit or vegetables before.
There is also a countermovement that preaches the ‘big is beautiful’ message. After all, fast food and cars symbolise the American Dream. Being overweight is considered a positive consequence of that. The movement organises special dances where muffin tops in miniskirts are a prerequisite.
Battling Obesity is a gut-busting documentary of frank and honest interviews. Teenager Brandon returns from the camp many kilos lighter, but is it enough to live a healthy life again?
Please note: This documentary is preceded by an FFF SHORT...
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Learning to Fish Animation I Teemu Auersalo | Ireland | 2012 | 4 min | no dialogue | NL Premiere Do we know what's in our food or where our food comes from? Johnny the urban seagull doesn't have a clue but hunger drives him to try catching a fish. |
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