My Skinny Sister (Min lilla syster)

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 – 7:30pm
Sweden/Germany 2015. Dir: Sanna Lenken. 95 min. Blu-ray Disc

Drawing on her own adolescent struggles with anorexia, first-time director Sanna Lenken has crafted a winning family drama centred on two young sisters. Eleven-year old Stella (Rebecka Josephson) is precocious, nerdy, and more than a little awkward. She enjoys practicing her kissing skills on tomatoes and writing secret romantic poetry to her sister’s handsome figure-skating coach. Older sister Katja (Amy Deasismont) is everything that Stella is not: slim, confident, impossibly pretty, and a talented competitive ice skater who enjoys the majority of their parent’s limited attention. Stella adores and envies Katja; in her immature worldview, she believes Katja has the perfect life. This all changes when Stella discovers that Katja is hiding a serious eating disorder. Sworn to secrecy, Stella is torn between wanting to keep her sister’s secret and needing to help save her life.

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Post-screening discussion with Dr. Vicki Klassen and Shelley Geislinger.

Dr. Klassen is a general practitioner with an interest in eating disorders, youth and addiction medicine. She has been working with the Richmond Eating Disorders Program since 2006. Dr. Klassen’s other clinical activities include addiction medicine and youth health, which includes outreach to East Vancouver schools.

Ms. Geislinger is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia. She is currently the Coordinator with the Richmond Eating Disorders Program supported by Vancouver Coastal Health. She has worked with a variety of mental health-related concerns during her career, including substance abuse and domestic violence, as well as severe and persistent mental illness.

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0tbzLia_8

REVIEWS

“Lenken examines the conflicting web of intimacy and alienation that entraps both sisters and moves with humour and compassion toward resolutions born of honesty, insight and affection.”

The Guardian | full review