How could we define beauty? In a world that puts so much attention on the cover, is there any space left for the inner beauty to shine through and be seen?
Here we have the chance to access some of the most remarkable testimonies regarding life and beauty, as we witness the inner strength and wisdom of some women, that allow them to shine their light bright against all odds. Among others, we meet women that have been confronted by the ugliest face of our world today, but still stood their ground for what matters the most.
There’s a pervasive obsession with female beauty, pushing us to invest time, energy, and resources into image-making in pursuit of happiness, often at the cost of being who we truly are. It’s time to make sense of this, because what’s normalized isn’t always what’s right.
In this experimental documentary, the filmmaker takes us on a deeply personal and reflective cross-cultural journey unpacking the quiet yet powerful forces shaping women’s relationship with beauty. Through authentic, vulnerable sharing and immersive storytelling, the film unravels societal conditioning, unspoken expectations, and deeper truths around power, desirability, and self-worth—seeking to redefine beauty beyond the mirror in an image-driven world.
Ultimately Anjula Ram is inviting us to a departure from the objectification paradigm to reclaim beauty as a truly full embodiment of being alive.
Chapters
0:13 – Chapter 1 – Journey introduction
1:13 – Chapter 2 – Normalization of beauty ideals
18:08 – Chapter 3 – Piercing the objectification paradigm
25:26 – Chapter 4 – The being human beauty reality
32:55 – Chapter 5 – Living a conscious and full life Â
44:47 – Chapter 6 – Right relationship to the body’s beauty
52:29 – Chapter 7 – Being beautiful reality check
56:00 – Chapter 8 – Journey conclusion
Cast & Crew
Directors: Anjula Ram / Producers: Anjula Ram / Writers: Anjula Ram
Cast: (all as character: Self) Anjula Ram, Santosh Ram, Mohini Bhakta, Nema Forbes. Jean Kilbourne, Seane Corn, Anne Whitehouse, Darcia Dexter, Heather Brunskell-Evans, Jessica Geneva Susolik, Natasha Gilbert, Grace Avalon, Paula Garcia-Arsenault, Sharondip Panesar, Suzanne Krinisch, Katherine Nitta, Margaret Kei Mooney, Vandana Shiva, Emma Oakden, Geeta Mahor, Neetu Mahor, Enolia Foti, Paulita Bennett-Martin, Jasmin Behal, and Carolyn Vetter.
Countries of Production:Â US, UK, India