Every Body is a Treasure Exhibition and the Finding Venus Film
It started with a question from my 5-year-old niece. "Auntie Mandi am I fat?"
Then answer was irrelevant because that wasn't the point. The point was the fact that my mind felt like it was chewing on shattered glass when it asked "What the hell was wrong with our society that a 5-year-old was worrying about a thigh gap?" Since social media was introduced on our phones in 2011 there has been a three-fold increase in suicides of girls aged 10-14. Eating disorders are on the rise. Why? I think a contributing factor might be the fact that each day we see 400-600 photoshopped images of a genetic 1-5 percent of women who have been chosen as the ideal. So I wanted to create a counterpoint.
The Every Body is a Treasure exhibition is my love letter to my niece and every other girl/woman who has been sold the BS story that there is only one kind of beauty (skinny, white, and young). I only qualify for one of those now, so the exhibition has also been a love letter to myself and through the creation of it, I have deepened my self-compassion to a point I never thought possible. My hope is for some of that to rub off on the viewers and participants as well.
-Director / Co-Producer Mandi Lynn
Please note trailer is NSFW - Contains nudity and discussions of abuse
Awards for Finding Venus
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival- Winner Supreme Jury Award for Short Film
Women's Voices Now - Mandi Lynn Winner Best Emerging Filmmaker
Mandi Lynn is the founder of our Trust and was the director of the film. She calls herself "An accidental filmmaker" As she never thought of filmmaking as a career path open to her as 50 year old with no industry experience. But she felt that the women's stories needed to be heard and that the message was too important to just be left to an art exhibition so she asked for help and the local film industry rallied around her to help make the film. She is grateful for the award but knows that it isn't hers but the whole Finding Venus Community's award.
Porto Femme International Film Festival - Porto, Portugal - Special Mention - Women's Rights and Fights
Become a Finding Venus Patron of the Body Positive Arts
Help us get the film seen in more film festivals around the world + continue holding more workshops so that we can complete the 600 images for the Every Body is a Treasure exhibition.
"Every Body Is A Treasure" is a registered New Zealand Charitable Trust (CC56586) NZBN 9429046351555
Donation Calculator - Use the Slider below to change details
I earn $30,000 a year
My 1% Donation would be$25 a month
OR
My 1% Donation would be$25 a week
Remember, as a New Zealand taxpayer, you can claim up to 33% of your donations back from IRD!
Based on a monthly 1% Donation of $25 a month, you should be able to claim a tax credits of $20 per year from the IRD.
This means your actual monthly 1% Donation would only be $20 per month
Where can we see the film?
- Doc Edge Film Festival - New Zealand 19 June - 31July
- Christchurch
- Wellington
- Auckland
- Online
- Love and Hope International Film Festival - Barcelona - Spain 17-21 September
UPCOMING FESTIVALS:
Toronto Women Film Festival - Toronto, Canada - September 2024
Love & Hope International Film Festival - Barcelona, Spain - September 2024
Cinema Carnival - Pisa, Italy - April 2025
PAST FESTIVALS:
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival July 2024
Porto Femme International Film Festival - Porto, Portugal - April 2024
Women's Voices Now - Online, USA - March 2024
Short Encounters International Film Festival - Preveza, Greece -
Nominations:
Love and Hope Film Festival - Nominated Best Director Short Film
Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards - Rome, Itay - Finalist
The French Duck Film Festival - Paris, France - Finalist
The Bay Film Festival - Morecambe, UK - Semi Finalist
Official Selections
Want to do the workshop that the women did in the film?
The women and girls in the film took part in a Finding Venus Workshop put on by Mandi Lynn and Every Body is a Treasure Trust. The workshop will be travelling NZ in June / July but after this there is an opportunity for communities to request to have the workshop come to their regions / countries. If you are interested in bringing the film or the project to your region please reach out to thetrust@everybodyisatreasure.org.
We have plans at this stage to bring it to Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, Whanganui, Eltham and Turangi. If you would like to be put on the waitinglist for a space or if you would like to become and host and help bring the project to you region please put your details in this form.
Get on the Every Body is a Treasure Mailing List
It took me 20 years of working with women and my own body shame to develop a framework for developing body positivity. Would you like it? Just drop me a line for the free PDF. Would love to support you on your own body love journey.
Watch the TEDx Talk about the Project
Need Support?
