"Stop the Self-Destructive War” is a documentary project born from months of travelling, listening, and sitting inside the quiet storms that so many athletes carry behind their performances. What began as an attempt to shed light on eating disorders in sport has evolved into a journey through the hidden corners of self-destruction, resilience, and the human need to feel enough.
The project brings to the surface what usually remains unspoken: the pressure to perform, the silent battles with food and body image, the perfectionism that pushes people beyond their limits, and the loneliness that follows. Through raw testimonies, intimate moments, and encounters with both those still fighting and those who have already found awareness, the film turns silence into voices, faces, and stories.
This work has already captured the attention of the academic and clinical community and will be presented at UCLA, UC San Diego, and the Center for Eating Disorders of Southern California, opening a dialogue on health, performance culture, and the urgent need for prevention and awareness.
Its roots in Italy - where the project began through encounters with athletes, coaches, and mental-health professionals - add a crucial perspective to the conversation. The collaboration between Italian and American communities highlights how universal these struggles are and strengthens a cultural bridge between the two countries, inviting a shared approach to education, prevention, and compassionate performance culture.
But beyond the research, the data, and the storytelling, this documentary is a call to stop the internal war that so many people - athletes or not - live every day. It is an invitation to look at ourselves with honesty, compassion, and forgiveness.
Because sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop fighting ourselves.
