Bye Bye Body
Drama, Short Films, 01-Sep-2020
When Nina fails to meet her goal in the final week of weight loss camp, she considers drastic alternatives. “Bye Bye Body,” directed by Charlotte Benbeniste, is a tender snapshot about body image and self-esteem delivered with wonderfully natural performances and lovely 35mm images. At a weigh-in with her peers, Nina is frustrated to learn that she hasn’t lost more weight during her time at camp. She turns to a friend who lost eleven pounds wondering how she achieved it, and gets a vague answer that delivers her to an abandoned warehouse with a group of edgy guys. As the picture fills in, we learn of the choices available to her, which become more complicated as the night wears on. Benbeniste has full command over the material, a richly conceived and executed tone poem seeping with feeling that doesn’t resort to easy answers or messaging. Director: Charlotte Benbeniste. Starring Kat Christiansen, Clara Nieblas, Grayson. Cinematographer: Ben Mullen. Produced by Barbara Twist & Amanda Freedman. Associate Producer: Talya Stern. Production Design: Toni-Marie Gallardo. Costumes: Sophie Kay. Editor: Max Goldblatt. Music: Adam Gunther. Color: Andrew Francis at Technicolor.