Stories make everything more real. Through True Eyes: The Process of Recovery From Eating Disorders (Atlantic Mediaworks) is a 23-minute documentary that creates space for the stories of women who have battled eating disorders. Based on the research of Dr. Kate Weaver of the University of New Brunswick (Canada), the film follows three wrenching tales that make the pain of eating disorders -- and the hope of recovery -- concrete.
Powerful Themes
The only voices heard in Through True Eyes are those of the women themselves -- two women who have recovered from anorexia nervosa, and one who fought through bulimia nervosa. Letting these voices dominate gives the film credibility. When each woman's voice meshes with images of her deteriorating body, it is hard to be unaffected.
Many common themes of eating disorders burst forward to confront the viewer. The stories vividly describe how trauma and life pressures can lead to a sense of having no control, and how eating disorders compensate with a sense of artificial control. A memory from one woman struck me as the words of a girl coming from the mouth of an adult: "No one else could tell me, 'No, you can't eat that,' or 'Yes, you have to eat this.' I was the boss of that."
In addition, I was intrigued by the factors that led these women to lose respect for their bodies, even as their appearance became all important. The film dutifully describes how layers of inaccurate thinking build on each other -- for example, "I'm worth little, so I'll take a job selling beer in a bikini to build my self-worth." It was clear how these layers of thinking slowly blinded all three women.
Adding Polish
The production and editing of the film, courtesy of Daphne Curtis, do an excellent job of pulling the viewer into the stories. I would even call it haunting. There are a couple of moments when the women seem a bit stilted -- they aren't actors, after all -- but the occasional scripting never obscures the core struggles. And other moments of interaction between the women and their friends and family are poignant, set against the isolation they all experienced in their eating issues.
Soft Spots
Through True Eyes is powerfully sobering and realistic. All three women experienced brutal (though common) eating disorder symptoms, and they speak of these frankly. All three were severe enough for intensive treatment, and the two who struggled with anorexia ultimately received medical care against their wills. These are very real possibilities with eating disorders because they progressively attack both mind and body.
What the film does not cover -- and perhaps is not meant to cover -- are the many eating disorder cases that do not require hospitalization or another form of inpatient or intensive treatment. If the disorder is recognized and addressed early enough, outpatient treatment involving medical, dietary and psychotherapeutic support may go a long way toward recovery. Through True Eyes describes cases for which this was no longer an option; all had deteriorated too much, both mentally and physically.
While the film relentlessly explores the depths of the disorders and the heights of recovery, it leaves the impression that the process of recovery (once started) is a fairly constant, upward trend. In reality, relapse is common, but even those who relapse can eventually achieve a full recovery. As it should, the film makes sure to leave the viewer with hope.
Overall
Through True Eyes is potent and unflinching, and it does a very thorough job of describing the thought processes of those struggling with eating disorders. It sweeps efficiently through a broad range of related psychological issues. The descriptions of denial by friends, family, and even naïve health care practitioners evoke a sense of how lonely and isolating eating disorders can be -- a key point for those seeking resources to educate others about eating disorders. The film accomplishes a great deal in twenty-three minutes, and in the hands of truth-seekers and health professionals, it can accomplish a great deal more.
