What about ME?- documentary

[Jenny]

Just received the email below. Haven't a clue what it's about, and can't download the video.

Anyone know anything?

Jenny

..............................................................................................................

Hello there

you may think that we have stopped work on our documentary on ME as it
has taken a while to reach this point, however to the contrary, we are
now picking up the pace. These films take a long time to get off the
ground, such is the nature of the beast, but the path is opening up
and to start it off we have the new website which you can find here,on
the film named named WHAT ABOUT ME? www.whataboutme.biz
This is where we plan to start increasing information as we go, if you
remain interested please keep the link. Apologies to anyone whose
emails have not been returned or if you haven't been updated, we had
to get this far to be able to keep in contact via the site.
Please visit when you can to keep up with the progress. Those of you
who have offered to be interviewed for the doc, or to be involved in
some way, we haven't forgotten , but it would be good to reconfirm to
us , as there is a lot of information, and some of it does get lost
between the cracks!
I will be off to the US shortly for further meetings towards the
film.If anyone knows of any funding bodies here or in theUS, who may
be interested in helping with the production please let me know. Of
course we are approaching a lot of possible sources anyway, but you
never know there may be that big one out there, that we don't know
about!
Please feel free to circulate the link to any parties that you think
would be interested.

All for now and thank you for your interest.

Very best wishes

Susan
Susan Douglas
susan@digitaldocumentaries.co.uk

Producer
Double D Productions
1st Floor
57 Poland St
London W1F 7NW
Ph : 44 (0) 203 214 0091
M: 44 (0) 7792459362
www.digitaldocumentaries.co.uk

 

[froufox]

Hi Jenny

I was just about to post about this too. It is a feature length documentary about ME...I had not heard about it before now either but looks like a film production company based in London has put it together and it is still currently in development as they need more funding. You have to download the latest version of Quick Time Player if you dont have it installed already. Have u tried doing that? I have just watched the 10 minute clip and it looks really good!! There are interviews with Malcolm Hooper, John Gow and ME sufferers. Here is some more info about the doc from the website..

http://www.digitaldocumentaries.co.uk/what_about_ME.htm

 

[jace]

What about ME

Hi Jenny, thanks for posting.

It looks like an independent production company is in process of raising funds to make the full documentary.

They've got the darling Prof. Hooper on the trailer, which is very real.

I had no trouble loading, on a Macbook in Firefox.

They are based in Poland Street, London W1, which is a classic hangout of production companies and editing suites - I should know, I was a cutting room gnome in one of my lives.

I'm going to contact them.

As I say, it's a project in the early stages, and it looks like they are looking for funding to finish. Where they would sell it to, I don't know, and it depends on their reputation and contacts as to whether the finished film would obtain substantial airtime.

 

[Frank]

I'm willing to make a small contribution for that movie

Hi,

My name is Frank. I want to congratulate you guys with the documentary you're doing on ME/CFS.

I'm willing to make a small donation, so i was wondering if it was possible to start a little fundraiser (trough paypal).

Also other members of ME/CFS communities surely would want to donate. If not for the making of the movie the

money could be used for publicity.

I've seen the trailer @ http://www.whataboutme.biz/ , a few questions arise?

-Is this movie only about the UK

-If so: interesting stories are those of:

Lynn Gilderdale
Sophia Mirza 1, 2, 3, 4

-If also ment for US, this movie gives a brief history of ME(CFS) over there

I'm also quite certain that researchers at the Whittemore Peterson Instute would like to give interviews.

They discovered the link with the XMRV retrovirus (still needs to be confirmed). They also have

Dr. Donnica Moore onboard as there spokesperson and advocate. She has loads of media experience.

link or info@wpinstitute.org

Warm regards

 

[dancer]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this link. It looks powerful, concise, and SO well done! I hope they can continue work on it and get the funding and distribution needed!

 

[sproggle]

Would there be an easy way that people could donate towards the cost of making the film?
I know it will be alot of money that they need but every penny counts...

I'm as eager to donate to them as I was the WPI :victory:

Jan xx

 

[Jerry S]

This looks really good. Thanks for alerting us, Jenny and froufox!

It took a long time for the trailer to buffer on my MacBook, but it was worth the wait!

Jerry

 

[Frank]

Their response:

Dear Frank

thank you very much for your kind words and offer for contribution to the film. Indeed we are going to set up a Paypal link on the website, this we plan to be the font of all knowledge for progress on the film, i will let you know as soon it's up.

The film will be concentrating on the UK and US, as alas it would be too big and costly to extend into Europe and other parts of the world, so we hope to make it representational of what is happening worldwide within the context

No worries, i am in touch with the Whittemore Peterson , and will be visiting them very shortly, again it will be posted on the website.

So onwards and upwards, we are grateful for your interest.

With kind regards

Susan

Susan Douglas
susan@digitaldocumentaries.co.uk

 

[Kati]

Wow, very impressive trailer... Some of the writing screen were too short to read all, but there is a lot of hope for that film and looking forward to it!

 

[MEKoan]

This looks amazing! These people clearly know what they are doing! A feature length doc. that delivers on the promise of this terrific trailer - and there's no reason why it shouldn't - would be, next to XMRV, very nearly the best thing that could happen to us!

Brought me to tears that this is in the works!

Amazing!

 

[flybro]

WOW this is utterly amazing.

WOW the site, WOW WOW the trailer.

WOW WOW WOW WOW

and a massive big thanQ to all those in the trailer and all those that have accomplished a truly magnificent start.

totally WOW

 

[_Kim_]

This is a high quality production. Very exciting work.

I was impressed with the patients they interviewed, but I hope they include some of the 25%ers in the full documentary.

For me, this was the first time to see/hear Malcolm Hooper. What a dear man!

 

[garcia]

Anyone who has ever seen "Under our skin" knows that this is exactly the kind of thing we desperately need. And what better time with things happening on all levels. It looks really good so far! Bravo to all those involved.

 

[mezombie]

Wow!

What a pleasant surprise! (My expectations are so low). This looks like it will turn into a terrific production!

I hope it gets distributed widely!

This is the type of film I've dreamed someone would develop!

 

[ukxmrv]

I met the film makers at last years Invest in ME conference. They have been travelling around the UK interviewing people and also been to the USA collecting information. It's looking good.

 

[jace]

The trailer consisted only of what is known in the business as 'talking heads', and graphics. I hope they tell the story in pictures too.

Shall we start a Malcolm Hooper fan club? The man is amazing

 

[justinreilly]

Anyone who has ever seen "Under our skin" knows that this is exactly the kind of thing we desperately need. Bravo to all those involved.

Precisely!!!

 

[justinreilly]

Suggestion: Donation Fund to Finance Film and in Turn ME Non-Profits

I have proposed a 'donation' fund to finance the film and in turn ME non-profits. The following is my email to the producers.

Dear Susan,

Thank you very much for embarking on your doc 'What about ME?' We ME patients desperately need a documentary of the caliber of Under our Skin to blow the lid off this thing. It really is such an inherently gripping, amazing, scandalous story, in the UK, the US and around the world.

I noticed that patients were already thinking about donating to the film. As you know, this disease is uniquely devastating both because of the physical severity of the disease itself and the response with which sufferers are met from doctors, government, family, etc. Sufferers are very often forced into penury and total disablity and rarely will even our families stand up for us. We cannot afford much self-financed research and governments don't want to do any research .

The above sympathy inducing serves a purpose: I have a plea for your consideration. My idea is that you might set aside a financing fund into which all 'donations', small and large from sufferers could be pooled and which fund would receive a pro-rata share in any profits from the film on an equal basis to your other investors. This money would then be donated to effective ME advocacy and research organizations (for example WPI and Malcolm Hooper's organization) to fund desperately needed research and advocacy. I am sure this would result in substantial financing and would certainly do an incredible amount of good additional to that done by the awareness created by the film. Please contact me with any questions or response. Thank you very much for your consideration!

Yours,
Justin Reilly, esq.
Boulder, CO 80302

 

[Dolphin]

Fund-raising

Best of luck with fund-raising, etc. I remember when the CAA fund-raised for "I Remember me" (I donated) - one donated through them.

 

[starryeyes]

This looks wonderful! I can't wait. I'll donate.