‘Gekooid’ (translation: ‘Caged’) is a documentary about eating disorders and recovery from anorexia nervosa. We give in insight into what lies behind eating disorders and provide tips and tricks for others & their environment. The objective is to break the shame around mental health illnesses, to make it negotiable and shine a light on the problems of our society related to mental health.

This documentary is entirely self-produced & self-directed by Laura Vermeire & Dominique De Vlieger.

Broadcast on Belgian & Dutch television.

Title: ‘Gekooid’ (Translation: ‘Caged’)

First broadcast in Belgium: 15 November 2021 @ Canvas

First broadcast in The Netherlands: 6 December 2021 @ Videoland

The full documentary is still available online on the website of:

– VRT NU (Belgium): https://www.vrt.be/vrtnu/a-z/gekooid/

– Videoland (The Netherlands): https://www.videoland.com/films/92325/gekooid

SHORT DESCRIPTION
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they are forced to face the hardest struggle imaginable. The loss of a loved one, a painful break-up, an illness…

For me, that moment was my eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa. A mix of circumstances had unintentionally led to me losing more than 10 kg in a couple of months’ time.

I had never realised, until the moment that it was almost too late. At my lowest point, I weighed not more than 35,8 kg. I could no longer take the stairs. My heart could stop beating any moment.

At that point, I knew something had to change.
This documentary tells my story: from a happy girl exploring the world, to an emaciated body and foggy soul. Only a ghost of what I had once been.
With the help of experts and the people that are close to me, I give a deeper insight into how eating disorders might develop. I want to break the taboo that still rests on the subject.

But I also show what helped me during my recovery. I picture my entire trajectory so that people better understand what it is all about.
Control. Letting go of control.

Because, no, it is not just about (not) wanting to eat. It goes far beyond that.