A look into “guts” coming to Sundance Film festival

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is set to unveil “guts,” an emotionally raw short film directed by Margaux Susi.

The film stars Angela Giarratana as Amelia and Kate Burton as Gabby. The official Sundance website lists a brief synopsis of the film: “Desperate for help, a woman in recovery asks an unlikely stranger on a dinner date.”

Susi elaborated on this description.

“We see a lot of the intense sides of eating disorders, while this shows a normal day in the life of someone who is in recovery and how something as simple as eating a meal is something they might need support with,” Susi said.

According to Susi, the film was an underdog.

“Everything that would make for a terrible film was what we had,” Susi said. “Our budget was small, we had one week to prep, and then one day to shoot.”

Despite the challenges, it was important for the team to tell this story.

“It’s always an obstacle to self-fund your work, but it’s always worth it,” Giarratana said.

“The film is a testament that if you have the right story and you find the right people to tell it with, you don’t need much,” Susi said.

The film is a product of the team’s combined experiences with disordered eating, particularly Susi, Giarratana and writer Jan Rosenberg.

“It’s an isolating and lonely disease, so I think what is most helpful is connecting with others. The three of us connected a lot on this topic,” Rosenberg said.

The team also collaborates well in an artistic capacity.

“I’ve worked with Margaux before, and she directs in such a way that I love, and the first time I did a reading of Jan’s writing, it felt so good in my brain,” Giarratana said.

Stories about disordered eating aren’t few and far between, but “guts” has a unique take on the recovery experience.

“It picks up where a lot of stories about disordered eating end,” Giarratana said. “Healing should feel good, but sometimes it just feels normal and mundane, and that’s also OK.”

The film’s narrative intentionally refrains from explicitly defining the eating disorder Amelia, the woman in recovery, experiences, providing a relatable snapshot of the nature of healing.

“Recovery doesn’t mean you’re immediately better. It’s not linear, and it doesn’t mean you’re a failure if you struggle,” Rosenberg said.

There is a lot of shame associated with experiencing disordered eating, which can be a significant obstacle for people seeking healing.

“I don’t want there to be shame in talking about it and getting help,” Susi said.

Rosenberg hopes the film will help break down some of these shame-related barriers for those who watch it.

“You can watch it through with certain assumptions, then go back and watch it again and see it differently,” Rosenberg said.

Many scenes in the film were inspired by moments of unexpected kindness experienced by the film team in real life, underscoring the importance of human connection in the recovery process.

“I’ve always felt like there are people that I think of as guardian angels,” Rosenberg said. “It could be a stranger who simply acknowledges or listens to you, lets you cry.”

Through its Sundance premiere, the film team hopes to challenge perceptions and inspire others — both filmmakers and those on their journey of recovery.

“It sparked a beautiful conversation with a family member who had no idea that this was a huge, defining portion of my life,” Susi said. 

The film aims to spark meaningful conversations and foster understanding around eating disorder recovery, offering a compassionate look into the healing process. 

“You have no idea what’s happening in someone’s life, so why not always treat strangers with compassion and assume they have the best intentions,” Susi said. 

For anyone who also wants to tell stories through art, each member of the team had advice.  

“Surround yourself with people that highlight your gifts and bring out the best in you. There are so many things I did as a producer that I wouldn’t do because I had confidence in and from my team,” Giarratana said. 

Rosenberg added that if an idea feels good, just do it.  

“I no longer put expectations on anything. Allow yourself you be surprised and open-minded, and don’t ever tell yourself you can’t do something,” Rosenberg said.  

Susi shared a similar sentiment.  

“I’ve spent years not making anything because I felt like I needed a certain amount of money or support. I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to just start,” Susi said.  

The film is scheduled to premiere as part of a short film program at the Sundance Festival starting Jan. 20. It will be available online for the public Jan. 25–28.  

For further information, screening schedules and additional details about “guts,” visit festival.sundance.org/program/film/656ba7ede26e17ee0b9a069e.