The Story

Synopsis

To eat or not to eat? A seemingly simple question but to Alice, a 21 year old girl, suffering at the hands of anorexia, this one small decision changes everything. Living her torment through her own imagined world, Alice finds herself at a mysterious banquet table in the company of two strange but intriguing women who both attempt to seduce her with their ideas of happiness. Gluttony and starvation both have dire repercussions, but with no other options, Alice must decide.

Treatment

The film is set in two different location, Alice’s bedroom and a dark dingy basement with a large gothic banquet table.

As we cut back and forth from both locations we see the contrast of what’s happening in reality, and how Alice is experiencing the struggle in her imagination.

Ana, the image of beauty and perfection represents the ‘devil’ on Alice’s right shoulder, and Aveline a haggard, plain and boring looking young women, represents the Angel on Alice’s left shoulder. The two fight over Alice, Ana trying to convince her that starving her way to perfection is the path to happiness; while Aveline tries to get through to Alice that eating in a healthy manner is the only way.

A feast of delicious looking food appears, and around the table the women are joined by a chorus of faceless anorexics who ‘support’ Alice giving her hints on how to resist the food, seemingly on Ana’s side. Alice’s animalistic instincts take over and Aveline seems to have won the battle as Alice’s hunger briefly becomes the strongest voice and she gorges herself on the banquet.

Alice is racked with guilt, disgust and despair as the realisation of what she has just done hits her, and with the encouragement of the other anorexics, Alice throws up the food, emptying her stomach of the gluttony. Aveline fades away and as Alice deals with the consequences of her actions, Ana has won the battle.