'America the Beautiful' to be shown at Neeb Hall
Darryl Roberts’ “America the Beautiful,” a documentary that explores America’s preoccupation with beauty, will be shown at Neeb Hall on the ASU Tempe campus at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by the director. Admission is free.
“America the Beautiful” explores the quest for physical perfection. Filmmaker/Director Darryl Roberts embarked on a two-year journey to examine beauty in America.
"Everywhere you look, we're sold the promise that if you're beautiful, your life will be better," says Roberts, 46, a former television personality. In an interview following the film’s screening at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival last year, Roberts said “America is on a quest for physical perfection … This film shows where this stems from and how it is probably not in our best interest to buy into it.”
The screening of “America the Beautiful” is one of several events planned during Body Pride Week, from Feb 9-13. Other Body Pride events on campus include a Resource Fair on Hayden Lawn, “Recovering from an Eating Disorder” panel discussion, healthy eating demonstration at Engrained and campus-wide information tables and clothing drive.
"Our culture has got to learn to do a better job to help young people live more healthy lives, stressing healthy eating, healthy exercising, and allowing diversity to be celebrated in how we look rather than an ideal image that is promulgated by the media and its advertisers,” says Dr. Allan Markus, director of Campus Health Services for ASU.
“I look forward to this week-long celebration of Body Pride and the awareness it raises for our students, faculty, and staff."
Body Pride activities at ASU aim to educate the campus community and raise awareness about eating disorders and body image issues while promoting campus resources, normal eating, active living, self-acceptance, self-respect and appreciation of size diversity.
For more information, contact Manju Ramadurai at Manju.Ramadurai@asu.edu or (480) 965-2253.