The Body Beautiful
BFI titles
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Drama, Sports, UR
This autobiographical narrative redefines female beauty and sexuality by reflecting on filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah's relationship with her mother. Onwurah's discovery of her sexual appeal as a young model is combined with an intimate account of her mother Madge's experience of desexualisation after having a mastectomy. The cinematic treatment of the female body challenges viewers to acknowledge the rarely-seen sexuality and desire of (mature) women, outside of dominant beauty standards.
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