Dark comedy series on bulimia backed by Hollywood heavies

Jewish filmmaker Jessie Kahnweiler is known for making funny work about serious subjects.

Kahnweiler’s short satirical 2013 film “Meet My Rapist” was a response to her rape at age 20 while she was studying abroad in Vietnam. In the film, the rapist hauntingly follows Kahnweiler everywhere she goes in Los Angeles until she stops taking cues from her friends, family and therapist about how to relate to him and does it her own way.

The same year, Kahnweiler put out a web series called, “Dude, Where’s My Chutzpah?” about exploring her Jewish identity. Using the conceit that her grandmother died and left her a lot of money, but on the condition that she “lives Jewish” for an entire year, Kahnweiler sets off on an 11-episode journey that opens her eyes to a variety of aspects of American and Israeli Judaism.

Now, in her latest project, a web/TV series titled, “The Skinny,” she applies her darkly humorous perspective to something not often discussed in polite company: bulimia.

Eating disorders might not seem very glamorous, but 30-year-old Kahnweiler managed to attract a number of notable Hollywood figures to “The Skinny.” Illeana Douglas (“Cape Fear,” “To Die For”), John Kapelos (“The Breakfast Club,” “Forever Knight”), and Allan Rich (“Quiz Show,” “Amistad”) lend their acting talent, and Golden Globe-winning “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway is producing the comedic web/TV series through her female-focused Wifey.tv video and content platform.

“People are starving for something like this — pun intended,” Kahnweiler recently told The Times of Israel about “The Skinny.”

Kahnweiler herself suffered from bulimia between the ages of 16 and 27. It is only in the last few years that she has been in recovery from the disorder.

“I never saw my story on TV. Sure, there was stuff about Princess Diana [who reportedly suffered from bulimia], but that’s not me,” she said. “When I was 16 and suffering, I would have wanted to see a TV show about this.”

For a decade, Kahnweiler, who also suffered from depression, tried to manage her feelings and bulimia on her own. In “The Skinny,” Kahnweiler plays a character that is a version of her, and the script’s plot is based on her own experiences.

“My stomach, food and feelings were always connected for me. Distress always came up in my digestion, with phases when I would be more bulimic than others, like when I first stared college or when I had a stressful job,” she said.

‘My stomach, food and feelings were always connected for me. Distress always came up in my digestion’

Douglas, who is also a producer on “The Skinny,” said she answered Kahweiler’s call because she wanted to be involved in a female-driven comedy that was funny but also had a message.

“I liked Jessie and thought she was a force of nature with untapped comic genius. I wanted to help bring out and refine that genius. I’m glad she trusted me to do that as it formed a real artistic bond,” she said.

Douglas, who plays Kahnweiler’s character’s mother in the series, noted how the younger generation pushes the envelope when it comes to content.

“Jessie’s much ballsier than I, but I appreciate that. She’s pushing boundaries, but underneath that she actually has something to say, and that’s what gives the comedy pathos. It’s great to be outrageous but only if we are not just being outrageous to be noticed… There is sadness underneath all comedy, and that must be revealed,” she said.

Wifey.tv co-founder and CEO Rebecca Odes also saw something special in Kahnweiler’s comedic approach to bulimia.

“Jessie is so talented and so fearless. She has a point of view that is rarely seen in female creators (or any creators). We were instantly attracted to her voice and wanted to help it reach a wide audience. A few of the videos we’ve curated have touched on eating disorders, but none in such a bold and new way,” Odes said.

“The Skinny” is not only about bulimia. It reflects its creator’s story in a larger way. We may see the Jessie character binge eating, abusing laxatives and vomiting, but we also see her living and loving as she tries to make her way as a feminist comedian in Los Angeles.

‘She’s not going to get better in five episodes. That’s not what the show is about. It’s about how a woman can find a place for herself in today’s society’

Following a successful Kickstater campaign and a considerable amount of national media attention, Kahnweiler will soon begin post-production on the pilot episode for “The Skinny.” She’s hoping that will lead to more episodes and a jump from the web to television.

No matter what kind of screen the series plays on, Kahnweiler and her producers intend to keep it funny, but also real.

“She’s not going to get better in five episodes. That’s not what the show is about. It’s about how a woman can find a place for herself in today’s society. That struggle and her journey will be very interesting to watch,” Douglas said.

The fact that notable Hollywood actors and producers have taken a genuine interest in “The Skinny” is not lost on Kahnweiler, who has developed quite a knack for mining her own life experiences for entertaining and brutally honest material.

“Having these people involved is validation that this is an important story regardless that it happens to be mine,” she said.