Yours Are Mine [Brooke Trantor, USA, 2018]

Teenage eating disorders have made the storylines of young adult fiction (see best-selling 'Monkey Taming' [Judith Fathallah, 2015]) and soap operas alike. What makes Yours and Mine different is its dual focus on teenagers and adults who struggle with bulimia.

Evin (Brooke Trantor) is the upbeat tutor to Ally (Allison Moses). As their classes progress, the pair form a sisterly bond that is nearly torn apart when Evin discovers Ally’s secret problem. Not only does she struggle with confronting the troubled teen, but also with her own past of eating disorders.

One thing that stands out in this short is its portrayal of healthy, supportive relationships between women. Although things are now slowly changing, there is an age-old tradition of female characters being pitted against each other. Think of Snow White’s peril at the hands of her murderous step-mother, or, more recently, the constant comparisons of women in the media such as the deplorable ‘who wore it better’ contest in tabloid magazines. Yours Are Mine rejects these poisonous representations and instead focuses on mutually supportive and productive relationships.

The difficult, emotional content covered in Trantor’s film feels like one of the videos you may have watched in PSHE class at school. On the one hand, this is a good thing, as the film has strong message about sharing problems and helping others. On the other hand, adolescent education is hardly recognised for its repertoire of cinematic gold. While it is certainly well acted and well made, Yours Are Mine treads a fine line between entertaining and didactic.

---

‘Yours Are Mine’ was a film in consideration for Short Focus Film Festival 2019.