Embrace (film)

Last updated

Embrace
Embrace 2016 film poster.jpg
Directed by Taryn Brumfitt
Written byTaryn Brumfitt
Produced by
  • Taryn Brumfitt
  • Anna Vincent
StarringTaryn Brumfitt
Narrated byTaryn Brumfitt
Cinematography Hugh Fenton
Edited by Lindi Harrison
Bryan Mason
Music by Benjamin Speed
Production
company
Distributed by Transmission Films
Release dates
Running time
90 minutes
Country Australia
LanguageEnglish

Embrace is a 2016 Australian documentary film directed by Taryn Brumfitt. It concerns women's body image and is a response to surveys showing that 90% of women are "highly dissatisfied" with their bodies. [1] [2] [3] It includes interviews with Mia Freedman, editor of the Australian Cosmopolitan and television talk-show hosts Amanda de Cadenet and Ricki Lake. [2]

Contents

Participants

Release

The film was screened at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival [4] and New Zealand International Film Festival. [2]

Rating

The film was originally classified MA 15+ by the Australian Classification Board, meaning that people under 15 could only legally view or purchase it when accompanied by an adult guardian. Brumfitt expressed outrage at this decision, which she pointed out put the film into the same category as Fifty Shades of Grey . [5]

Following a review by the Australian Classification Review Board, it was subsequently re-classified M, which means it is no longer subject to any legal age restrictions. [6]

Brumfitt fully welcomed this decision, stating, "I am thrilled that the right decision has been made. With rates of labiaplasty on the rise, particularly in teens, I knew how important it was to include the educational and informative vulva section in the film. Since the film's release I have been told every day that it must be seen in schools and now it can be. The Classification Board's decision means that Embrace can be more accessible to the people who need its message most." [7]

Facebook is reported to have barred the film's poster on the basis that it shows "excessive skin". [5]

Related Research Articles

A motion picture content rating system classifies films based on their suitability for audiences due to their treatment of issues such as sex, violence, or substance abuse, their use of profanity, or other matters typically deemed unsuitable for children or adolescents. Most countries have some form of rating system that issues determinations variously known as certifications, classifications, certificates, or ratings. Age recommendations, of either an advisory or restrictive capacity, are often applied in lieu of censorship; in some jurisdictions movie theaters may have a legal obligation to enforce restrictive ratings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda de Cadenet</span> British photographer and entertainer

Amanda de Cadenet is a British photographer, author, and media personality based in Los Angeles, United States. She began her entertainment career in the 1990s, first as a presenter for British series The Word and The Big Breakfast before moving to Los Angeles to briefly pursue an acting career. A tabloid figure at the time, she transitioned to a more private career as a photographer in the 2000s. She has hosted an eponymous interview series on the Lifetime Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Seyfried</span> American actress (born 1985)

Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress. She began acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1999–2001) and Joni Stafford in the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003). She came to prominence for her feature film debut in the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004), and for her roles as Lilly Kane in the UPN mystery drama series Veronica Mars (2004–2006) and Sarah Henrickson in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classification Office (New Zealand)</span> Media classification agency in New Zealand

The Office of Film and Literature Classification, branded as the Classification Office, is an independent Crown entity established under Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 responsible for censorship and classification of publications in New Zealand. A "publication" is defined broadly to be anything that shows an image, representation, sign, statement, or word. This includes films, video games, books, magazines, CDs, T-shirts, street signs, jigsaw puzzles, drink cans, and slogans on campervans. The Chief Censor, Caroline Flora, is the chair of the Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricki-Lee Coulter</span> Australian singer, songwriter, television and radio presenter

Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter, also known mononymously as Ricki-Lee, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and television and radio presenter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and began performing at age 15. Coulter rose to fame in 2004 on the second season of Australian Idol and placed seventh in the competition. She subsequently signed with Australian independent label Shock Records, and released her self-titled debut album Ricki-Lee (2005), which produced the top-ten hits "Hell No!" and "Sunshine". Both singles were certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The following year, Coulter became a member of the Australian pop girl group Young Divas, before leaving in early 2007 to resume her solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movie and Television Review and Classification Board</span> Philippine government agency for classification of programs and movies

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines that is responsible for the classification and review of television programs, motion pictures and home videos.

<i>Suburban Mayhem</i> 2006 film by Paul Goldman

Suburban Mayhem is a 2006 Australian film directed by Paul Goldman and written by Alice Bell. The film was produced by Leah Churchill-Brown, with Jan Chapman as executive producer. The ensemble cast includes Emily Barclay, Michael Dorman, Anthony Hayes, Steve Bastoni, Mia Wasikowska and Genevieve Lemon. Filming locations included Sydney and Newcastle, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Speed</span> Australian musician (born 1979)

Benjamin Peter Speed is an Australian musician who composes scores for film and television. He previously performed and recorded as Mister Speed or Mr Speed, and was vocalist and songwriter in the Australian alternative, electronic, and hip hop band The New Pollutants.

Mia Freedman, also known as Mia Lavigne, is the co-founder of women’s digital media company Mamamia. She was the youngest editor of the Australian edition of Cosmopolitan in 1996, aged 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Board of Film Classification</span> British film classification organisation

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), previously the British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works released on physical media within the United Kingdom. It has a statutory requirement to classify all video works released on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and, to a lesser extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act 1984. The BBFC was also the designated regulator for the UK age-verification scheme, which was abandoned before being implemented.

The Australian Classification Board is an Australian government statutory body responsible for the classification and censorship of films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia. The ACB was established in 1970 and was once part of the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), which was dissolved in 2006. The Department of Communications and the Arts provided administrative support to the ACB from 2006 until 2020, when it was merged into the 'mega department' of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Decisions made by the ACB may be reviewed by the Australian Classification Review Board. The ACB now operates under the Commonwealth Classification Act 1995. The ACB is made up of a director, a deputy director, and three other board members, appointed by the government for three- or four-year terms, and temporary board members. The ACB is located in Sydney, New South Wales.

The Australian Classification Review Board is a statutory censorship and classification body overseen by the Australian Government. The corporate body is responsible for reviewing classification decisions made by the Australian Classification Board concerning films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia. Review decisions need to be initiated by an appeal from a previous applicant, most commonly referred to as "aggrieved party", or a Federal or State Attorney-General.

<i>The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)</i> 2011 British-Dutch body horror film directed by Tom Six

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) is a 2011 psychological body horror film written, directed, and co-produced by Tom Six. An international co-production of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and the sequel to Six's 2009 film The Human Centipede (First Sequence), the film stars Laurence R. Harvey as a psychiatrically and intellectually impaired English man who watches and becomes obsessed with the first Human Centipede film, and decides to make his own "centipede" consisting of 12 people, including Ashlynn Yennie, an actress from the first film.

<i>I Am Divine</i> 2013 film by Jeffrey Schwarz

I Am Divine is a 2013 American documentary film produced and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz of the Los Angeles-based production company Automat Pictures. The documentary focuses on the American actor, singer and drag performer Divine, born Harris Glenn Milstead, a lifelong friend and collaborator of filmmaker John Waters.

<i>The Dark Horse</i> (2014 film) 2014 New Zealand film

The Dark Horse is a 2014 New Zealand drama film written and directed by James Napier Robertson and starring Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Score at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards, Best Film at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), 2015 San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) and 2015 Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR), was New York Times Critics' Pick and Time Magazine Critics' Pick, and was labeled by leading New Zealand critics as "One of the greatest New Zealand films ever made". It premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and was created by production company Four Knights Film. The film was released theatrically in the U.S. by Broad Green Pictures on 1 April 2016.

<i>Ricki and the Flash</i> 2015 film directed by Jonathan Demme

Ricki and the Flash is a 2015 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, about a woman who leaves her family to become a rock star and later gets a chance to make amends. The film stars Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline, Sebastian Stan, Rick Springfield, and Audra McDonald. The film marks Streep and Kline's third collaboration after Sophie's Choice (1982) and A Prairie Home Companion (2006). It was Demme's final narrative film before his death in April 2017.

<i>Mia Madre</i> 2015 film

Mia madre is a 2015 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Nanni Moretti. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. It was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>Hitchcock/Truffaut</i> (film) 2015 film

Hitchcock/Truffaut is a 2015 documentary film directed by Kent Jones.

Taryn Brumfitt is an Australian body positivity advocate, writer, photographer, and filmmaker, known for founding the Body Image Movement and for her 2016 documentary film Embrace. The crowdfunded film Embrace Kids, intended for use in schools, was released in 2022.

References

  1. Paatsch, Leigh (3 August 2016). "Taryn Brumfitt's Embrace is a highly accessible and refreshingly honest Australian-made documentary". Herald Sun . Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Embrace". 2016. New Zealand International Film Festival . Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  3. Byrnes, Paul (3 August 2016). "Embrace review: Taryn Brumfitt's body image documentary a troubling eye-opener". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  4. Program. Sydney Film Festival. 2016. p. 15. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 Roach, Vicky (12 July 2016). "Positive body activist Taryn Brumfitt slams censors' decision on female genitalia". News.com.au . Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. "'Embrace' Rating Decision Overturned".
  7. "Embrace Gets a Lower Classification Rating". 17 October 2016.