A short film by new writer Michael David & Directed by Tom Gordon

Danny puts everything on the line to bulk up and carve the body of his dreams, but can he finally  make peace with his own reflection?

Bulking Up is a short film about muscle dysmorphia and men's mental health. We follow our protagonist Danny (Micky David) as he battles with the perception of his own appearance, whilst his world starts to fall apart.


High weight, low reps.


Eat big, get big.


No pain, no gain.



Muscle dysmorphia, also known as bigorexia or the Adonis Complex, is thought to affect one in ten men that go to the gym. 

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What is Muscle Dysmorphia?

Muscle dysmorphia is defined as the delusional or exaggerated belief that one's own body is too small, too skinny, insufficiently muscular, or insufficiently lean. It is a condition that falls under the larger umbrella of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

 

 

Muscle Dysmorphia can cause enormous impacts on a sufferer's work and personal life, with dietary and exercise regimens completely taking over. This in turn frequently leads to other significant mental health issues such as Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, bulimia, depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

 

Research shows that around 22% of men diagnosed with BDD also meet the criteria for Muscle Dysmorphia. Whilst it is not known precisely how many people, studies show that potentially 0.5% of all men suffer from MD.

 

In the UK amounts to approximately 165,000 people.

 

  • Around 1 in 8 men in England suffer from a 
         common mental health problem 

  • 5821 suicides were recorded in the UK in 2017.                    75%  of these were men.

  • Suicide represents the largest cause of death for          men under 50.

 

For the majority of men, mental health issues are associated with shame, and a loss of masculinity - so many don’t reach out for the help they so desperately need.

 

There is no silver bullet for this issue, but the more we talk, and the more we make people see that it’s okay not to be okay we can save lives.

 

Through Bulking Up, we hope to start a conversation and perpetuate the discussion that makes people see that it’s okay to ask for help.

About the writer

Micky David obtained a BA honours degree in Drama and Film Studies at Kingston University, which is where his passion for script writing was ignited. Throughout his time at Kingston he procured a wealth of knowledge and skill in writing after being tutored by several prestigious playwrights and screenwriters including writers of Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang Theory. During his studies he wrote several pieces for stage and screen including a television pilot and a short play on racism and cultural clashes. 


Following his time at Kingston, Micky went on to train in acting at the Young Person’s Theatre Company (now RAaW London). 


Whilst training, he also wrote several short films which went on to be produced by RAaW’s production company including The Tea, The Warehouse & The Tied Up Russian , a spiky British gangster film, shot in 2014 and starring Jack Rowan in his first screen appearance alongside Michael. 


Other works include short films The Suspect , Solicitors and The Tracks . In 2017 Michael began writing Bulking Up , originally named Adonis, a hard hitting short film about muscle dysmorphia and image disorders in young men, a story largely based on his own experiences as a young man. 



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