How would it change you if this was a medically recognisable illness?

[digital dog]

Yes Sly it is. I am going to email them now and ask why it is a film that only ME sufferers will watch. We don't need to see it. We know the reality of ME.

 

[digital dog]

I've emailed them asking how we can help them get the documentary aired.
I will let you know what they say.
We need more films like this being broadcast.
It would make a HUGE difference.
No one could argue that ME is not real after watching that film.

 

[digital dog]

Thank you for the link CANt Think

 

[CantThink]

As I posted on another thread about vfts film, I understand they want to raise funds but its quite difficult to actually see the film unless you buy the DVD, and the only people likely to do that are ME sufferers. As its trying to raise awareness this seems a bit self defeating. Isn't it time to make it available to view, free to all, say on YouTube?

@slysaint @digital dog

You can watch it on Video as a rental for $3

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/22513/108797012

I agree that the problem even with that is that most people who are not PWME or not somehow connected with a PWME are not going to go to the bother/faff of hiring it. We ideally want to encourage/allow a mainstream audience to watch it - people who have no interest in or connection with the disease, just like 100s of 1000s of people watch documentaries on C4 and C5 and satellite/cable channels on topics which are of no personal relevance to them... Like Louis Theroux, Living Dolls, Transgender issues...

 

[digital dog]

HI,
I contacted the makers of Voices and this is what they wrote back:

'Basically the film isn’t the format that TV likes, not exactly the right length.
We decided to stick to the format we wanted - people with ME telling their own stories without a voiceover to tell the audience what to think, knowing that this could be a problem as far a TV is concerned. There was a concerted effort made by a load of people to get it screened but it went nowhere. I really don’t think there is any point in putting more effort into trying t this stage. Hopefully the new films from the USA will be able to reach a bigger audience. I Had contacts who gave me feedback from the TV world and they were very move, but said it would have needed to have had a voiceover or presenter who was well known. I think the power the film has is because it doesn’t follow the standard format for TV docs.

So I’m sorry but I don’t think there is anything you can do…..

Thanks for your support.'

SO that's basically a NO then.

I would love Louis Theroux to take on something like Voices. He would be incredible.

I may write again and ask if the copies could at least be distributed to medical schools/universities and doctors surgeries.
DD

 

[sarah darwins]

I would love Louis Theroux to take on something like Voices. He would be incredible.

He's always terrific. But my dream filmmaker for an ME project is Jacques Peretti. The saga of how we got to the place we're in, and the people behind it, is right up his street. He's brilliant at unpicking and explaining complicated stories like this.

 

[digital dog]

Its not really Theroux's thing. What has Peretti done? I wonder if we could contact him?
Im happy to write a letter if anyone thinks it is worth a try.

 

[sarah darwins]

Its not really Theroux's thing. What has Peretti done? I wonder if we could contact him?
Im happy to write a letter if anyone thinks it is worth a try.

The one that really sticks in the the mind for me was a 3-part tv series called The Men Who Made Us Fat, a pretty thorough (and slightly shocking) telling of the story behind the whole high fructose corn syrup / 'low fat' (high sugar) -> diabetes story and the politics of how it came about. He's made a few other series and one-off films, but that was the best. Well worth watching if you get a chance. If you watch that, you'll see exactly why I think he would do a great job with the ME story. [the series appear to be on Vimeo .com - not sure if that can be seen everywhere]

He's on Twitter, if that's any use to you (I never know how good that is for contacting people like him — I'm not a Twitter user). He writes for the Huff Post. I don't know if he can be contacted through that. He's quite a political animal, and pretty untrusting of the establishment (as journalists should be), so the 'politics' of ME, the vested interests and so on would probably be the things that would get him interested.

 

[digital dog]

I will see if I can write to him.

 

[slysaint]

There was a v good article on ME and public misconceptions etc in the Daily Mail online a few years ago which was written after a reader had sent the journalist a copy of Voices. I still think it should be more widely available for free to get non sufferers to watch it.
As for TV, with all the channels there are now there must be one that would consider it.
If they want to change the format, let them. Once it's out there, in whatever form, its got to be a good thing.
Then also people might want to see the original.

 

[digital dog]

I agree with everything you say Sly. Such an amazing documentary available to basically anyone who has ME. No one else is going to pay to watch it!

I am going to write to Voices again and ask who they have sent it to and how it was distributed.

 

[slysaint]

It's a long shot I know, but I just emailed Lord David Puttnam at the House of Lords.....worth a try

 

[CantThink]

@digital dog

Thank you for emailing the Voices people. I understand what they are saying, but then I feel perhaps we are coming from different places as to what we thought the purpose of the film was! I haven't watched it myself as I know I'd find it too distressing.

 

[CantThink]

But my dream filmmaker for an ME project is Jacques Peretti. The saga of how we got to the place we're in, and the people behind it, is right up his street. He's brilliant at unpicking and explaining complicated stories like this.

I agree. He seems like a really good fit.

 

[digital dog]

I've emailed again and asked who exactly they distributed the film too and how we can send it to medical universities (so that newly qualified medics have an actual clue about ME).