| Beauty in the Eyes of the Beheld | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Liza Figueroa Kravinsky |
| Produced by | Liza Figueroa Kravinsky and Mike Kravinsky |
| Screenplay by | Liza Figueroa Kravinsky |
| Story by | The Women of Beauty |
| Based on | Beautiful Women's Life Experiences |
| Narrated by | Liza Figueroa Kravinsky |
| Music by | Composed by Liza Figueroa Kravinsky |
| Editing by | Mike Kravinsky |
| Studio | CreateSpace |
| Release date(s) | December 2008 |
| Running time | 55 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Beauty in the Eyes of the Beheld is 2008 American documentary that explores what it is like to be a beautiful woman through interviews of eight American women considered physically beautiful. The women interviewed include a physician, an exotic dancer, a musician who worked with recording artist Prince, former beauty queens, a student in a wheelchair, an assistant paralegal, and an assistant television producer. Eye opening stories of insecurity, vulnerability and tragedy surface along with the more predictable blessings beauty brings.[1] The preview asks " Is beauty all it is cracked to be?" Surprising stories surface as they speak about their childhoods, careers, relationships, and life satisfaction.
What do beautiful women really think? Are they happy or sad, insecure and starving themselves to be "beautiful"? “Beauty: In the Eyes of the Beheld” is included in the National Eating Disorders Association's list of body image educational tools. [2]
Director and producer Liza Figueroa Kravinsky explores these perceptions, those of the women of themselves, and how they feel they are perceived by the outside world, by the impossible "ideal" created and demanded by the media, ideals that are modified from season to season. A study of skin-deep attractiveness, the film offers empowering insights into inner beauty as well.
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Society tells us that beautiful women have it all. But beauty can be as much a curse as it is a blessing. Being beautiful, doesn't equate happiness; “Being beautiful is overrated,” says the filmmaker. [2] In this sensitively choreographed film, the eight women labeled as beautiful consider body image issues through their candid stories of how concepts and realities of physical beauty have shaped their lives for both good ways and bad. Objectification, negative Stereotyping, Jealousy, Insecurity, and Vulnerability are prominent themes, as are Opportunity and preferential treatment. A study of skin-deep attractiveness, the video offers empowering insights into inner beauty as well. [3]
Kravinsky states that "Beauty making things easier for a woman is a double edged sword." It also looks at how being beautiful affects relationships and self-esteem. [4] It may be easier to date or get a job, but having things come easier for you creates jealousy, laziness in working on self, and it doesn't encourage development of the inner beauty that a women needs as she grows older and her beauty fades. Kravinsky compares beauty to sugar, it is very sweet, but too much of it can be a killer. [4]
“Being a beautiful woman is not all that it’s cracked up to be,” according to Kravinsky, creator of this documentary about the blessings and curses of being beautiful. “This is an important message for all women and girls, especially those that do dangerous, even life threatening things, to be beautiful,” she said. “Being beautiful is overrated," she reiterated. She arrived at this conclusion during the filming of this documentary in which she interviews everyday gorgeous American women. She followed the lives of eight beautiful women. “A pretty face can make some things easier,” Kravinsky explained, “but it can complicate relationships and careers as well. Women who rely too much on their looks can end up being lost and lonely, stereotyped, wondering what the rest of their lives will bring. She contends a pleasing appearance is not a reliable guide to character if character is neglected.
Another limitation on beauty’s blessings is that most of the women did not even see their own beauty, did not feel that they were beautiful. "I started to realize how contextual our perception of beauty is... Even the beauty queens had lists of their own physical flaws to report", Kravinsky said. They tended to focus on what was wrong with their appearance rather than what was lovely and good. Most individuals will be amazed that there are actually support groups for beautiful women, terribly unhappy women who search out support groups to help them work through their problems. [5]
The media is the major influence on the concept of beauty. The size zero woman in a revealing ensemble jumps out at you on every commercial page of almost every magazine. If one closes their eyes, they can picture her because that image has been imprinted onto our brains. “The documentary looks at how society and the mainstream media objectifies and subjugates women and attempts to highlight the importance of looking at beauty from a more balanced perspective. The hope is that young women start to realize that beauty and being beautiful is relative and that there is not one mold to fit.”[6]
A childhood conversation inspired Kravinsky to develop her film. While she was growing up, she had heard folklore about how beautiful her grandmother was. Most significantly, the most famous artist in the Philippines made a sculpture of her. One day she asked her what it was like to be so beautiful. Her grandmother answered,
“Years later, when I made this documentary about my question, the answer was not as evident as I had thought it might be,” said Kravinsky.
Psychiatrist Hilary Klein, M.D. described the film as "A remarkably subtle yet surprising look at the self images of those society calls 'beautiful'."
Girl Fest Hawaii Film Festival organizer Valerie McDougle said, "This thought provoking documentary... proved to be one of Girl Fest's ... audience favorites."
“We were impressed with the lively discussion the film generated among the audience about issues related to female beauty,” commented Adele Schmidt and Erica Ginsberg, co-founders of Docs in Progress, which screened the film as a work in progress." [7]
Alan Duffy, the Health Educator at American University, called Kravinsky’s film “compelling” and added, “[Liza] provided an insightful question and answer session after the screening, which engaged the audience for more than twenty minutes.[6]
“Beautiful women are often stereotyped as being conceited, superficial, dumb people who rely on their looks to get everything they want in life. That perception does not help someone running for vice president of the United States.” Kravinsky contends. "Sarah Palin has been stereotyped and underestimated by press and public. [8] “Palin’s looks helped her get a job as a sportscaster. The resulting fame may have helped her win an election to public office." [9]
“When beautiful women reach a certain level in their careers, perceived competence becomes an issue. Just listen to all the jokes you hear about Palin being a ‘hottie.’." Being named a ‘hottie’ when running for office for a potential commander in chief was not productive.[9]