My Friend Ana | Short Film 

Thank you all for the support and feedback. Please do not body shame the actors in the comments, it goes against everything I am trying to say with this film.

as an anorexic, i feel so seen. the constant arguing w your parents, the isolation, the exhaustion, everything about this was so spot on.

If this was done by a high school student this is really good! This little short has a lot of potential.

oh the parents yelling at you like its your fault is the CHERRY ON TOP

As a young boy who is struggling with anorexia, I have to say this is a very good description of it and I can relate to it a lot.

I love how lonely this feels. Because anorexia is not a friend, somehow you feel comfort in someone who doesn’t exist. Because to you there’s something that finally understands you but to others you’re simply destroying yourself alone.

the argument with the parents and the things they said hit right where it hurts

Oof. When Ana said “hunger is a mindset,” it brought me right back to my old mantra: “Hunger will go away whether you eat or not, so don’t eat.”

This was an amazing portrayal of how anorexia feels and plays out. The progression of "Ana" from a kind friend to a horrid, critical thing is on point. If you think you have an eating disorder, don't wait to get help. Don't waste away like so many others have. x

As soon as I started to catch on, I absolutely, just- admired the creativity in showcasing Ana. You really showed the struggles and thoughts by literally personifying her. I love this short film so much, no other words needed 7.18.23

I kinda thought the way this was set up was weird at first, but then this is actually how a lot of these things happen. So you make a new friend and things are amazing, they give you some "advice" and they "help you". Over time you think you are better but once you realize it isn't good. It's way too late.

A great film. It shows how people can be shamed and manipulated by others. Ana is a great actress.

Okay, when the dad said at 6:05 "I am sick an tired of this sheeeeeit" it took me back to the dinner table with my parents. This was done perfectly.

Im an anorexic... fuck this hits close to home... Ana is that sweet voice inside my head, she tells me everything will be okay if i just get fucking thin... She's killing me, and im too scared to let go

the manipulation that builds up through the “friendship” of ana is so true what happens in anorexia. as an anorexic that is truly struggling at the moment, it’s so difficult to see this happening especially with the parents arguing with the main character. The mood changes and swings are so intense and depressing. It really does take over your life, brain and everything. You start to just lose yourself. Your everything.

Very interesting. My friends ditched me at lunch and I sat by myself. I stopped eating at school for two years.

The fact that she was already so pretty and her friend manipulated her like that is so sad 😢

"I've never ever been happier" remember what Cassie's condition was when she said it . I love how this resonates to that.

The scene with the dad yelling and mum crying is so accurate. Omggg

At 45 years old I’m starting to recognize some of these things in myself. The whole control thing. 😢

if you look closely at the beginning, you can see a girl in the corner at lunch who is chewing gum, only has bottled water, wearing baggy clothes, and looks exhausted.

this was really good i suffered from ana many times in my life and this hit home to me. it demonstrated really well about what its like.

The second the scene with the parents yelling at the dinner tabel came up I couldn‘t hold my tears anymore. Great Short film!

I get sad to think I've watched every single one of these short films

Shout out to the actors they executed this perfectly

Great acting from everyone here. Seriously the parents were so real

oh my god im so slow, i thought this was a sapphic shirt film at first until i realised like half way through the video that the real message was anorexia 😭

did anyone notice the colors got less saturated towards the end?

It's always that voice in your head telling you that you don't deserve to recover as long as your not at your lowest

That dinner scene was scarily accurate lol

so exciting to see the finished product! a great story told!!

Jesus Christ. I have anorexia, that fucking scene with the parents was the most triggering thing I’ve ever seen. Mine were exactly like that. A part of me thought it was sweet, but the other half of me was thinking “gosh, just let her do what she wants! Leave her alone”

Causes: Sociological : "When there is a constant pressure from people to be thin, teasing and bullying can cause low self-esteem and other psychological symptoms.[88]"

When I was bulimic, I wrote a novel (I wrote so many novel since I was 14). The antagonist's name was Lim and the protagonist (me) fought with her. Sadly at the time - in the real life - Lim won... But not anymore ;) I'm a real fighter, and I won the war against her.

as someone whos name gets mistaken for "mila" all the time. this hits so hard because ive been struggling with food.

the parents yelling is so real

Ana being anorexia in person literally was genius

Ana constantly tries to come back to me and it gets harder each time to keep her away

You know it’s back when you start watching these again…..

i dont know how this crossed my page but this ist exactly the kind of situation i got in recently

So happy I got to work on this with you, it came out so nice. ❤

"myla i dont want to bury my own child" bro.

Ana-rexia, it’s embarrassing how long it took me to get it

genuinely one of the most accurate that i’ve seen, especially with the arguments with parents

I relate to this so much as a people pleaser, and it sucks. It’s hard to make friends and it’s even worse with someone who you so-called friend controls you.

This film spreads so much awareness and is so so well put together

i know the dad cares but he sucks as a parent tbh, as soon as he found out she was starving herself he yelled at her and insulted her

I wasn't expecting what this video would be about, but I'm really glad I watched it!

I've never had a friend like this, or claimed to be. But as a teen/young a adult, I'd experience thoughts or assumptions of what others MIGHT think about me.

Super accurate depiction of anorexia nervosa. I've seen a few other short friends similar to how in-depth this goes, but not many. Great work! I also think it's ironic how Ana herself is the one with hips and higher bodyfat %

DeMarco's acting is so professional! I love this film you made and made it lightly because I'm a chicken lol. I would have loved so much to have a cool friend like Myla. Sorry if I misspelled her name. Is there a way you can film her in a story where she is the brave girl who befriends a lonely girl? I would love to see her acting skills on that story. Thank you for sharing your amazing artistic skills with all of us. 😊 P.S. I've become a #1 fan of S. Demarko but sadly I haven't found an official website or info about her. 😢

My friend did this and im still trying to recover

Such a good short movie!!! Respect

this is so good and the message is really important, it deserves so much more views!! wish you success

Wow it’s so accurate it’s crazy I feel the literal same way

this is such a good film i cried lol

I was not expecting this to hit nearly as hard as it did Wow I am blown away

Amazing Short

My main question and concern is; why do those around you criticize, yell, put down, a person they supposed to love? Isn’t love responding, respectful, caring , concerned???? No one cares,unless it’s about how it makes them look.

the dad snapping broke my heart. only a parent can relate

This was so good

How does she still think she’s not skinny? I would kill for that look

The views are so low This is a masterpiece

Anna does not exist. In the beginning she tells her parents that she thinks Anna is new because she hasn’t seen her before. Then at the locker Anna appears out of nowhere simply saying “I’ve been here the whole time” Anna says she would never leave her like her other friends, and that she will make her better. Mimicking how eating disorders can feel like a friend/comfort. A consistent presence. Anna is not real, and while I know this is obvious for many, I thought I would explain for anyone that might have mist it.

thank you

The parents are not helping at all

👏🏽👏🏽 Incredible

the way I understood before even watching

To you reading always remember that the world is so much better with you in it, you deserve to be healthy and you are so beautiful 💞

The song 'My Bestfriend Ana' comes to mind

Me vi varios videos de este tipo y este me hizo llorar, me paso y sigo pasando por exactamente lo mismo

So well done.

this was amazing

How the dads acting is exactly how my mom is, once when i was in 6th grade she announced to my whole family on thanksgiving “oh kyleigh? Shes doing this new not eating bs” she only made it worse and its on going. Im in and out of recovering by myself; my dad is much nicer about it, he tells me when dinner is ready and i can eat it WHEN i want, not IF. He gives me time to eat it. If i havent esten anything he sits with me and lets me eat. I am 97 lbs. its frustrating being to,d youre skinny, or youre fat, or youre eating too little or too much. Not to meantion the friend i have that tries to make it a competition of whos worse. “Oh i never eat lol””i always throw up my food”. I just want to be seen as normal. No labels. Just a teenage girl living her life. Not a wasteful dumb child, not someones “thinspo” or “fatspo” not the friend that makes you feel better abt urself, not the girl at lunch you sit with who never eats or eats too much. I js wanna be seen as a girl. A regular girl.

I was wondering, what filter did you use on this film? It is beautiful, by the way, great acting and cinematography!

Brialliant! 🎉👏👏👏

i really thought ana was gonna be so sweet and nice, but then she just turned into a monster and was controlling myla.

the dad yelling at her made me start crying. this film was a little too good

The fact that u get a list of tips is really not it, there are probably better ways that could’ve been portrayed.

Well done.

That’s how I am that’s how I feel every time I look in the mirror I’ve been struggling with an eating disorder for 2 years and my family hasn’t noticed the only people who have were my ex best friend and my bf I’ve found myself skipping meals and working out more and more I feel like shit every time I eat no one gets it tho I talked to an adult and she said I definitely am anorexic but I still feel like I’m to big to be so I haven’t gotten help my friends have watched as my happiness has just faided away the foods I used to love I won’t even allow myself to eat anymore I’ve lost so much weight my clothes are all to big and yet it’s still not enough cuz I’ll never be skinny and perfect like the other girls I’ll always be the fat one

Not the ending I expected. I was expecting her to go to therapy and stay away from Ana

She's so comforting, but it ruins my life.

right this is a great movie but honestly the way he parent(especially the dad) went about it is so wrong and stress induciding.

I think ana is not a person, but a mindset. Myla feels lonely becuase of the neglect of her friends so in result turns to "ana" for acceptance."ana" as in "anorexia" and no matter how much weight myla loses. Ana continues to torment her. They also look similar, so i think ana is mylas inner voice

That dinner scene was very triggering but good acting

Excellent video. Parents so out of touch. Co-students not helpful or inclusive. Quite sad as do many young people suffer in-silence

The acting is (chef's kiss)

Super amateurish but with a lot of potential. Keep it up and good luck on future projects! I did enjoy the subject matter, very important subject that needs to be addressed.

7:27 At least her parents were understanding of her situation

Ana quoting Kate Moss, if you know that phrase you been through smth

my name is Myla and this hit a lil close lmao

Those dinner scenes triggered me

Does it matter that the girl is adopted? I mean, was that an intentional plot point? If so, pretty good writing. Good writing anyway, I just like the added layer.

the dad should have not brought it up like that

Anybody else notice the filter change on camera when her eating disorder gets worse?

i cant stopn eating

Realatable

too funny 💀💀 dad yelling at you, insitsting you're wasting away, while mom just sits there crying.

Good job nicki That pfp tho