‘A Perfect 14‘ is an inspiring new documentary which examines the struggles plus size models have to face in order to be accepted by the fashion industry and mass media. The documentary, produced by Canadian filmmakers James Earl O’Brien and Giovanna Morales Vargas, offers a glimpse into the struggles of three plus size models, Elly Mayday, Laura Wells and Kerosene Deluxe, who frequently faced discrimination on their way to success because of their size.
The filmmakers also spoke to modeling agencies, fashion photographers and designers, in an effort to illustrate the need for a less narrow definition of beauty which includes women of different sizes and which empowers women rather than making them feel inadequate for being far from an arbitrary set notion of a perfect body size.
The three plus size models interviewed in the documentary share the many setbacks they have encountered on their way to becoming successful and the difficult yet inspiring path to a positive self image. Elly Mayday, one of the fastest rising plus size Canadian models, shares an emotional story about choosing to continue modeling even after being diagnosed with an extremely rare form of ovarian cancer at the age of 25 and eventually signing a contract with one of the largest modeling agencies in New York.
After initially rejecting the idea of becoming a model due to beliefs about not fitting conventional model standards, Laura Wells became an avid positive body image promoter and an ambassador for Greenpeace and the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation.
Kerosene Deluxe, the third model to open up about the difficult road to success after being viciously bullied and eventually sexually assaulted by three of her bullies because of her size, used her traumatic past to inspire other women who suffer from body image issues to fight against bullying and fat-shaming.
‘A Perfect 14’ is not a documentary about the perfect dress size or about plus size clothing even though the title might suggest so. Instead, the movie aims to be a backlash against weightism, which is “the last acceptable version of discrimination”, according to Daniella Sieukaran, a body image researcher at Simon Fraser University who is interviewed in the movie. The movie aims to illustrate the need for a diversity on the runways and a better representation of more realistic body types.
The movie makers are currently trying to raise money to cover the post-production expenses of the movie, which total $45K. Those looking to support the project can do so at Indiegogo, where those interested can find out more about the ways in which they can show their support for the project.
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Photos: A Perfect 14
