More than half of all Europeans want to lose weight. Only very few of them manage to do so – despite numerous diets and regular visits to fitness studios. They might succeed in shedding a few kilos with a starvation diet, but people who want to permanently reduce their weight must change their lives. This documentary series tells the story of such people.
As five women meet on New Year's Eve and mutually swear they will lead a "lighter" life, a difficult path lies ahead of them: reduced-fat yoghurt instead of cream sauce, and jogging instead of shopping trips. Neither curried sausage nor cherry truffle helps to overcome their everyday worries. They now have to change their ways. In this turbulent year one of the women changes her job, another moves into a new house, and one finds the man of her life and gets married.
For almost two years film director Claudia Richarz accompanies the women with her camera. With great sensitivity, with perseverance and humour she manages to transform their everyday lives into lively stories – not least thanks to the frankness and the proverbial natural wit of her protagonists from the Ruhr region. The five women, whose strong will is matched by their wit, took advantage of the work on the series to get to know each other and – despite all obstacles – to lose weight.
The transmission on Arte and the third channel WDR was extraordinarily successful in terms of ratings and won critical acclaim. The main national channel ARD then bought the series. "Abnehmen in Essen" was awarded the Adolf Grimme prize - the most prestigious TV-award in Germany, and was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux.
The German Press:
You can never get enough of these women. - Simply riveting TV drama, keeping you on the edge of your seat from episode to episode. - Most successful documentation – both melancholy and amusing – about the women's battle against the bulge. With their directness and natural charm, they would be an enrichment to many a TV series. - More exciting than many a TV thriller... - A docu-soap, full of élan and bursting with sensuality. -
www.abnehmeninessen.de
