The documentary Kili Big is the story of 20 plus-sized women from around the world all attempting to climb to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. In this episode of Golden Globes Around the World, Ida Joglar talks to HFPA member Anke Hofmann about her directorial debut and the inspiring journey she took alongside these women.

“I have never been considered fat, so I knew that was the main difference, but I think anyone can relate to these women’s experiences of having been underestimated, of having been told that you can’t do something. I think these women weren’t climbing this just for themselves, but they really wanted to be seen doing this so that they could make space for other people who have had this experience of living in a body that is stigmatized by society,” she explains. 

“It’s true that there are so many things that we know are wrong to shame people for; not to make fun of a disability, or the way people are born, yet we seem to think that as a society it’s OK to shame people that have larger bodies and it doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s part of what I hope people take away from the film, to question their own unconscious bias against people in larger bodies.”

Kili Big premieres on August 18 on Chicken Soup for the Soul, available on a wide variety of platforms including connected TVs, mobile devices, set-top boxes, video game consoles, and online at www.crackle.com.