This film tells the story of Manouk Pluis, actress and filmmaker, who has fully recovered from Anorexia Nervosa.

In 2015, she was urgently admitted to the Academic Hospital in Maastricht due to severe underweight. From that moment on — until the emotional farewell with her psychologist four years later — her experience of illness and recovery was profoundly shaped by the group of people around her.

You Should Have Been There goes beyond Manouk’s personal story; it is an invitation to dive deeper into the reality of recovery, to look beyond the surface, and to explore the essence of community and self-acceptance.

The documentary is therefore not only about eating disorders and mental health, but also about the role of society, the influence of bystanders, and the need for connection.

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