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Fourth Annual Festival

Laugh at the Fat Kid

07:57 min
Narrative
Director: Kristina Schoentag
Producer: Kristina Schoentag

Winner of the Peter Yarrow Peace in Our Classrooms Award
Sponsored by Frank Marshall

ABOUT THE FILM

More About Laugh at the Fat Kid from the Director, Kristina Schoentag

Laugh at the Fat Kid started on the playground of a suburban elementary school. My little sister would come home from school riled up by the nonstop taunting of a particularly fat little bully. I found it odd that a boy with his own obvious shortcomings would provide such a burden of jokes and jeers upon his fellow classmates. Perhaps he did not know that he too could be the butt of a joke. So my sister and I came up with a plan, the next time he would start in on her she would turn and point at him (arm fully extended), then, at the top of her lungs yell out “Hey, everybody, laugh at the fat kid!” Of course she never went through with it. It was far too mean, and as our mother always taught us, try to be nicer to people than they are to you. Or something like that. Growing up a chubby dork myself, I went through my own hell of elementary school. The jokes and ridicule were right on target, but nonetheless left a lasting impression. While making Fat Kid I wanted to make sure to keep the situation true to reality. No happy ending where the hero gets the girl. No workout diet that pumps him into a superman. Just a regular boy who keeps on truckin’ like we all do.

RELATED CATEGORIES

Fourth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival, family & society, health / health advocacy, human rights, youth