SKIN AND BONE
TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT? …THAT IS THE QUESTION. Bariatric weight loss surgery isn’t the ‘magic pill’ that it’s made out to be in the mass media - clamouring for ratings-grabbing fairytale weight loss stories. The rarely spoken about after effects of these increasingly popular surgical procedures, can be quite psychologically damaging. Rather than being the solution to a serious societal obesity problem – in many instances, the resulting weight loss creates a whole new set of problems and issues for those who choose to go through with these life-changing procedures. “Skin and Bone” is a short documentary film which follows the story of someone who has successfully achieved their weight loss dreams through bariatric surgery, but who is still unhappy with what they see in the mirror. Their decision ‘to cut or not to cut?’ plays heavily on their mind for various reasons. Do they proceed with the radical cosmetic surgery, or finally learn to love the skin they’re in?
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AUGUSTIN LOBETDirector
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BEN CROKERWriter
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BEN CROKERProducer
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CATHRYN COOPERProducer
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BEN CROKERKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Student
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Genres:DOCUMENTARY, MEDICAL, QUEER, GAY, LGBTQI, HEALTH
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Runtime:8 minutes 46 seconds
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Completion Date:November 2, 2015
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Production Budget:100 USD
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:Australia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:1080p
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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WA SCREEN ACADEMY AWARDS 2015PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
November 2, 2015
WORLD PREMIERE
CHANNEL 9 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY -
KASHISH MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVALMUMBAI
India
May 28, 2016 -
MELBOURNE DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVALMELBOURNE
Australia
July 9, 2016 -
MIAMI INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVALMIAMI
United States
WINNER - BEST STUDENT FILM -
SPRINGOUT! MIDDLE TENNESSEE LGBT FILM FESTIVALMURFREESBORO
United States
April 7, 2016 -
LIVING SKIES STUDENT FILM FESTIVALREGINA
Canada -
SYDNEY WORLD FILM FESTIVALSYDNEY
Australia
Augustin Lobet: is an aspiring filmmaker, specialising as a Director and Cinematographer, recently completing a Bachelor of Creative Industries majoring in Screen Studies at the Western Australia Screen Academy at Edith Cowan University. During this course of study he was awarded 'Best Documentary' for 'Skin and Bone' as well as 'Best Client Based Project' for the interactive educational video 'Wreck'. Augustin grew up surrounded by the creative influence of his family which developed a lifelong interest in theatre and photography. This led to initially studying theatre at the Universitie Aix-Marseille in France before moving to Perth, Western Australia where he completed a number of years of study in screen and media at the Central Institute of Technology resulting in an Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media (Director) and being awarded ‘Student of the Year’. He is passionate about film, in particular being able to work closely and build relationships with actors and the process of bringing scripts to life.
‘Skin and Bone’ is a documentary that follows Ben Croker as he reflects on the decision to remove excess skin that he has as a result of rapidly losing a large amount of weight after having sleeve gastrectomy surgery.
This documentary tells a very personal and touching story. My main objective was to respect the personal and truthful aspect by using a very realistic style.
The camera does not intrude on Ben’s life, instead it is used as a door that Ben can open or close, allowing the audience in when he desired to do so.
Instead of following an old fashion interview style I gave Ben the freedom to use the camera as a video diary.
‘Skin and Bone’ is a documentary that will speak to a wide audience. It is no secret that our population is increasingly suffering from weight related issues. Many people decide to remove their extra weight surgically and television shows make you believe that you will be happy if you lose all of your extra weight. However very few are aware of the other implications that such a massive weight loss brings.
Once Ben, like many, was not happy with his size, then he was not happy with his extra skin. Will he be happy with massive scars?