“Selfie” points out insecurities and reminds us to look deeper

Cathy Adams Writing 3 Comments

Today several people emailed me the short film “Selfie” that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. 

It shines a bright light on how girls feel shame or discomfort about their appearance, but in reality, their beauty radiates through their differences.

I had tears while watching it – for myself, for past generations, for my daughters.

I am overwhelmed by how females are so distracted by their appearance. So distracted that it causes them to hide their body, or change their body, or make them feel as if they don’t have value because of their body.

I am not immune to these feelings, they resonate deeply. And that’s why I cry, because it feels heavy and real, but deep down we all know it’s all a lie, we know the time we waste not feeling good enough impacts our families, impacts our world.

I’ve never understood why we wear clothes or shoes that don’t feel comfortable, or why we have to put on lipstick to be presentable to others, or how we can know that magazines alter women in pictures, yet we still strive to look like something that isn’t real.

I’m not saying I’m above it or I haven’t done it, but deep down I’ve never understood it. It’s always felt wrong, it felt like a lie.

I don’t want my daughters to strive to look like a picture in a magazine, and I don’t want them to think they should look like somebody else.  I just want to them to be comfortable in their skin and smile when they see their own face.

And my hope for them is my daily work, because they are watching me, they are processing my often unspoken but too obvious belief system.

Once a girl is no longer distracted by needing everyone else’s approval, she can focus on enjoying who she is; she is free.

Every time a girl accepts who she is, she is filled with an undeniable energy to get down to work, to realize why she is here and what she can do. 

It’s a road ahead, a lot of unraveling of old beliefs, but when I watch something like this, the truth is obvious.

We are good. As we are.

Watch for yourself…

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Comments 3

  1. Thanks for your insight. What a great project! I will share this with my students. And hopefully help them to see that they don’t have “to fit” a mold. Thanks!