A video Installation by RAYAH ALI
DOC NOW FESTIVAL
June 21 – July 2
PROCESS GALLERY /Gallery 1313 www.g1313.org
“But Honey, You Did This to Yourself,” is a film situated within the practice of documentary media that discusses the importance of representation in available eating disorder research. I argue that due to current misconceptions, the urgency to investigate eating disorders in relation to social, biological and cross-cultural determinants is insufficient. Using interview-based research, statistical analysis and by examining cross-cultural healthcare systems, my project challenges the view that the risk of developing an eating disorder exists exclusively among predominantly white women within affluent Western society. My research indicates that for the past few years, there has been a documented rise in hospitalizations among Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour (BIPOC) as well as, patients from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, who attribute eating disorder symptoms, when they have not been accounted for in the past. From interviewing healthcare professionals and peers, I discovered that persisting stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding eating disorders continue to exist in an age of progressing knowledge on mental health. I argue that limited awareness of eating disorders and their variants, are the result of limited research accessible to the public, which suggests that learning more about eating disorders and who they affect, is not a healthcare priority; I argue that the lack of affordable treatment for underrepresented groups, reflects this stagnant approach.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
“But Honey, You Did This to Yourself,” is a 30-minute film that provides a case study of Ontario, Canada, and available healthcare for men and women who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. The interviews I conducted were among underrepresented populations in current eating disorder research. While each participant was able to receive treatment, I maintain that there are also the undiagnosed who, due to current limitations in diagnostic criteria, have yet to acknowledge the need for care. This emphasizes the importance of learning more about eating disorders. While this work exists as a film, it is to be experienced as a group-therapy session so that viewers are immersed in a similar environment as the individuals in the film. Each speaker provides testimony of their eating disorder experience and are looking directly into the camera. Viewers of this film watch three different screens that are synchronized to present the entire piece. However, each screen corresponds to a different speaker. When text appears, each screen will show the same text. This is the way the audience will maintain engagement with each speaker and turn their heads towards the corresponding screen. Throughout my research, treatment was often expressed as a “revolving door” and recovery, as a “non-linear journey.” My intention is to capture that cyclical discourse in this presentation.
Gallery Hours Wed – Sat 1-5 pm Sun. 1-4pm .