L'Adage

No Lye: An American Beauty Story(en)

A documentary that chronicles the rise and decline of the black-owned ethnic beauty industry in America.

The Ugly Stepsister(no)

In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira battles to compete with her incredibly beautiful stepsister, and she will go to any length to catch the prince’s eye.

The Women(en)

The story centers on a group of gossipy, high-society women who spend their days at the beauty salon and haunting fashion shows. The sweet, happily-wedded Mary Haines finds her marriage in trouble when shop girl Crystal Allen gets her hooks into Mary's man.

Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image(en)

A documentary about body image and the industry leaders challenging society's unrealistic and dangerous standards of beauty.

Shallow Hal(en)

After taking his dying father's advice, Hal dates only the embodiments of female physical perfection. But that all changes after Hal has an unexpected run-in with self-help guru Tony Robbins. Intrigued by Hal's shallowness, Robbins hypnotizes him into seeing the beauty that exists even in the least physically appealing women. Hal soon falls for Rosemary, but he doesn't realize that his gorgeous girlfriend is actually a 300-pound-not-so-hottie.

Miss India America(en)

Lily is a winner, but when her boyfriend leaves her for a vapid beauty pageant queen, she gets the notion that winning the Miss India America title would bring him back. Since Lily is perfect in everything else she does, it should be a cinch...or so she thinks. The pageant world isn't just pretty smiles and high heels, and her main competition, Sonia, gives her a run for her money.

Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy Headed People(en)

An animated satire on the question of self-image for African American women living in a society where beautiful hair is viewed as hair that blows in the wind and lets you be free. Lively tunes and witty narration accompany a quick-paced inventory of relaxers, gels, and curlers. This short film has become essential for discussions of racism, African American cinema, and empowerment.

Beauty(en)

A look into how beauty standards affect self-image.

Lalin(th)

She tells Lalin's journey from Thailand to Japan. With the opportunity to study abroad, she flees to Sapporo, where no one knows her and can live under a new identity. Posing as a modern beauty, she becomes an idol on the internet and on social media platforms. The reality is that Lalin hides his face every day with a mask, hiding from the world and striving for self-acceptance.

True Beauty: The Movie - Part 1(ja)

Reina, who feels insecure about her looks, masters the art of makeup and transforms into a "goddess". Her makeover sparks a sweet, heart-throbbing love triangle with the enigmatic Shun and warm Yu, where secrets and tender emotions could change everything.

True Beauty: The Movie - Part 2(ja)

Reina's beauty and dreams dazzle, but her bare face exposes hidden truths as Shun and Yu vie for her heart, stirring tension and racing emotions.

To Be Beautiful(lv)

The documentary explores issues of beauty and acceptance in a culture increasingly saturated with idealised and unattainable ideals of femininity. It is a story about the world of young girls in today's Latvia, based on conversations about girls' attitudes towards the world and their place in it.

COMPLEXion(en)

"COMPLEXion is a documentary that aims to unpack the hegemony of skin color globally and challenge the archaic notions that exist surrounding it. Our mission is to defy toxic beauty standards through raw human stories."

Madrepérola(pt)

In a tide oblivious to diversity, pearl oysters live under attack for not fitting into the standards and sizes. This is the story of how their pearls are born.

Morena(tl)

MORENA tells the uplifting story of the Philippine National Surf Athlete Ikit Agudo, who overcame the pressure to blend into a society obsessed with skin whitening. Within the ocean, she found happiness, strength, and pride in her roots. Inspiring young girls around the world to embrace who they truly are. In the Philippines, skin-whitening remains a billion-peso industry, a legacy of colonial beauty ideals that for generations have led many to neglect their true identity and natural beauty.

Antinous(en)

A present-day young actor becomes convinced he is the reincarnation of Antinous, sparking a psychosexual drama that bridges the grandeur of ancient Rome with Hollywood’s obsession with youth, beauty and immortality.

Crowned Species(ru)

A journalistic investigation, built not on rumors and assumptions, but on direct evidence, revealing the true mechanisms of podium coronations. Hidden camera footage of negotiations with the owners of the largest national beauty contests and an attempt to answer the question of why these people are not yet in prison. Famous people on the jury are not a guarantee of fair judging. Irrefutable evidence of the corruption of the so-called “stars” who elect the next Miss and Mrs. The collection and subsequent theft of funds for charity is a side business of the owners of fraudulent shows. What actually awaits the titled Misses after purchasing the prize? And what do children's beauty pageants turn out to be like for young participants?

Miss Italia Mustn't Die(it)

Behind the glitz of Miss Italia, director Patrizia Mirigliani fights to save the iconic pageant, now wavering amid scandals and changing beauty standards.

Ways to Strength and Beauty(de)

The perfect body as an object of cult worship. Based on the mass sports and body worship movement of the 1920s, the film propagates physical training and shows in stylized documentary scenes aspects of physical hygiene, gymnastics, sports and dancing as well as scenes in which supposed sportsmen of antiquity pose naked.

Aphrodite Stereotype(jv)