Experiencing Interruptions?

Gaze of the Beholder

Beauty: a characteristic of a person, place or thing that provides a pleasurable or satisfying experience. This explains why when we speak of beauty it encompasses so many different things - from a song, a sunset or a smile. This film shifts the conversation from the tangible to the intangible; from the flaws to the favorite attributes.
Through the filmmaker's lens we explore personal perspectives on beauty, body-image and our influences that occupy the internal gaze of the beholder with the power to shape and distort our perception.
Before blaming others, we must first take responsibility, beginning with how we see ourselves. This film reflects the conversations of personal accountability around our shared with acceptance and self-love. The 'Beautiful yoU' starts with the 'Be U.'

  • Wadooah Wali
    Director
  • Hanh Nguyen
    Director
    Caffeinated, The Bush Man, Leaving My Mark: A Portrait of Scott Donahue
  • Wadooah Wali
    Writer
  • Wadooah Wali
    Producer
  • Quinn Daly
    Producer
  • Dania Sacks March
    Producer
  • Carson Daly
    Key Cast
    Last Call with Carson Daly, The Today Show, The Voice
  • Vanessa Villegas
    Key Cast
    Entourage, Sons of Tucson
  • LaShawn McGhee
    Editor
    Teen Wolf: Back to the Pack (TV), Girl Rising (Documentary), Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling (TV series), Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century (Documentary) (assistant editor), What's Your Sign (Short)
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Television, Web / New Media, Other
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 11 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 9, 2013
  • Production Budget:
    82,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Capital City Black Film Festival
    Austin, Texas
    September 28, 2013
    3rd place - Best Documentary Feature
  • Women's International Film & Arts Festival
    Miami, Florida
    March 29, 2014
  • Imperfectu International Film Festival
    Tijuana, Mexico
    April 2, 2014
    International Premiere
  • St. Tropez International Film Festival
    Nice, France
    May 13, 2014
    European Premiere
    Awarded Best Editing of a Documentary Feature; also received nominations for: Best Cinematography of a Doc Feature, Best Directing of a Documentary Feature, Best Producing of a Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Feature
  • International Independent Film Awards
    Los Angeles, CA
    June 30, 2014
    Silver Award - Documentary Feature
Distribution Information
  • Revry
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Video on Demand, Paid TV
Director Biography - Wadooah Wali, Hanh Nguyen

Wadooah Wali is Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer & Executive Producer at New Canvas. A true media influencer, her 20+ career expertise spans across traditional & disruptive media platforms, including Livestrong.com, Facebook, Twitter, WarnerMedia, Fullscreen & podcast leader Midroll Media/EarWolf (acquired by Scripps Media).

As an award-winning indie content creator, she’s passionate about connecting audiences with stories via writing, directing and producing various projects that span TV, film, video, podcasts, XR and beyond. Additionally, Wadooah currently serves as an advisory board member of GALECA (the Society of LGBTQ+ Entertainment Critics) and is a co-founder & advisor for Revry.TV.

Naturally complementing her knowledge of content creation in a new media world, her love of the written word and her ability to find “the story,” Wadooah founded Parking Meter Productions in April of 2010 – an independent production company. Her first feature-length documentary, “Gaze of the Beholder” written, directed and produced by Wadooah, was awarded Third Place in the feature documentary category at the Capital City Black Film Festival in late 2013. In 2014, the indie doc was also accepted into the Women’s International Film Festival, Imperfectu: International Film & Gender Studies Festival and the St. Tropez International Film Festival, where the film was nominated for five awards, including: Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Producer, Best Editing, Best Documentary Feature. The film went on to take home the win for Best Editing of a Documentary feature. Recently, the documentary also was awarded as the Silver Winner of a Documentary Feature for the International Independent Film Awards.

Wadooah earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida and currently resides in Los Angeles.

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Director Statement

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." / "Do not go where the path leads. Go instead where there is no path and create a trail."