![]() “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story” is a documentary directed by Sara Hirsh Bordo about how a victim of vicious cyberbullying became an anti-bullying activist. The first part of the documentary shows Lizzie’s life before she became famous. Lizzie uses completely direct and unflinchingly honest language to tell her tale. She was born with a condition that makes her unable to gain almost any body fat the condition is so rare that she has not yet been diagnosed. She details the many surgeries that she had to undergo, as well as the difficulties of being partially blind. When she started school, some children were scared of her, but as she grew up she won over those around her with her kindness. Considering how rare it is for people in documentaries to talk without self-pity and resentment, the sincerity with which she and her parents share their story is compelling. The movie later splits off in several, somewhat random directions. ![]() Part of the film recounts Lizzie’s troubles with cyberbullying. She was called “the ugliest woman in the world” on YouTube in a video viewed by millions. She later made a YouTube channel of her own, which she devoted to speaking out against bullying. Her story and YouTube channel gained enough popularity for Lizzie to become a guest on the talk show circuit. When compared to the heartfelt opening, these scenes seemed tainted with commercialism and publicity stunts. It’s hard to take a message about inner beauty as seriously when it is spoken on shows that herald celebrities known exclusively for their looks. The film also documents her struggles to find treatment for her condition.
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