Longing for Beauty

What is beautiful and who defines it? How far will people go to conform to ideals of beauty? Are there societal advantages to being beautiful? The film tells the life stories of three people who consider themselves confronted with severe facial disfigurement or the wish for further beautification.
The film sets out to continually pose the timeless, and yet in the 'zeitgeist', question about the nature of beauty from ethical and aesthetic points of view. In doing so, it will weave the stories of the three central characters into the context of the film's overall theme. The conflict between one's own appearance and society's expectations and norms is a constant part of the story. In his documentary LONGING FOR BEAUTY Julian Benedikt examines the significance outward appearance has gained in our society today and looks for the essence of beauty.
In the course of this journey, we will meet some of the most important and successful plastic surgeons of our time as consulting specialists. They will help us understand a branch of medicine where craft, science and art converge – but that these days is often in the media headlights, while remaining misunderstood. Representatives from the worlds of society and culture will also contribute to this ongoing debate. (official distributor synopsis)