Film screening inspires women to embrace their bodies

Debbie Stevens and Gay Richardson brought the ‘inspirational and eye-opening’ film Embrace to the Dome Cinema in Worthing last Thursday (March, 2), after it left them both ‘gobsmacked’.

The film tells the story of a mother of three who, having found that achieving the ‘perfect bikini body’ did not make her happy, embarks on a global journey to meet people who have embraced their bodies as they are.

Debbie, 52, who runs a company which organises wellbeing and girls nights in events, said she could ‘definitely relate’ to the film.

“We watch TV and read magazines, we see all these beautiful people and we aspire to be like that,” said the mother of two, who lives in Northfield Road, Worthing.

But the film made her feel ‘totally empowered’.

“I decided I’m not going to beat myself up anymore,” she said.

“If no one likes it, that’s their problem, as long as I’m happy in myself.”

Gay, a 56-year-old personal stylist who lives in Aglaia Road, Worthing, said many of her clients disliked bits of their bodies and said of the film: “We hope people will come away feeling that they don’t have to compare themselves to the idealistic, beautiful women portrayed in the press.”

Both women said the sold-out screening got an ‘amazing’ reaction.

Sandra Crathern, a health and wellbeing coach from Worthing, said she found it ‘incredibly moving’, as someone who used to suffer from ‘weight problems, low self-esteem and lack of confidence’ herself.

“I felt it allowed us to come together and look at what we can do differently for our children and to free us all from the Western world’s idea of what a perfect woman should be,” she said.

Kay Whitehouse from Goring said the film would help women to love their own body and added: “Men need to watch it, too!”

Rose Wade, from West Worthing, called the film ‘inspiring and eye-opening’.

“I love the courage of how the women decided to shift their minds into a positive mode,” she said.

Jacqui Rice from Worthing described it as ‘totally refreshing’ and said: “I wish I had seen this 20 years ago, as it would have saved me a lot of heartache and self loathing.”

The screening proved so popular that the pair have arranged a second screening at the Dome for Tuesday, April 11.

Tickets are still available here.

Debbie and Gay are also hosting a related charity fundraising event at Durrington High School on Tuesday, March 28.

The hall will host stalls from ‘body positive experts’ who will give advice on ‘how to make the most of yourself’.

Buy tickets for the event here.

A percentage of funds will be donated towards the school.

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