In a culture obsessed with obesity and weight loss, there are groups of "fat activists" who attempt to change a fatphobic world into a size-accepting world. These fat activists span the political and religious spectrum, yet come together around their commitment to ending size discrimination."
Nothing to Lose presents the activities of the local New York chapter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) as they advance their platform through engagements with mass-media, dissemination of information, and creative local actions. By adopting the provocative position that linking fat with ill-health is misguided and legitimizes prejudicial attitudes and behavior toward those with fat bodies, Nothing to Lose is a film that encourages its viewers to rethink the stereotypes and assumptions they hold about body size.
“…an excellent introduction to fat oppression and the need to challenge it. The short length (only 18 min) makes it easy to use in the classroom, where it would make a good basis for a discussion of looksism, sizism, and fat oppression in women's studies, sociology, and psychology courses. It is also a good introduction to activism in general, as viewers will appreciate the importance of taking action, the camaraderie of working collectively, and the creativity of the activist projects.”
SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS
5th Samsung Women's International Festival, India, 2012
International Festival of Ethnographic Film, Quebec, Canada, 2009
Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca, NY, 2008
American Psychological Association Convention, Boston, 2008
European Association of Social Anthropologists' Film, Video & New Media Festival, Slovenia, 2008
Popular Culture Association & American Culture Association National Conference, Boston, 2007
Tremblant Film Festival, Montreal, Canada, June 2006
Society for Visual Anthropology/American Anthropological Association Conference, San Jose, California, 2006