Unrest

Brilliant film. Compelling, informative, inspiring. Not to be missed.

There were so many times during this film that I cried. It's not just about Brea and her husband; there are several other ME/CFS patients you get familiar with, all unique and relateable people. You get to see the variety of ME life. Not just who they are now but who they used to be when they were free to design their life as they wanted.

It's never directly stated but the contrast of old home movies of the patients and voiceovers about scepticism... clearly these people were happy & driven before they got sick. They don't look like people who were headed to a nervous breakdown or other hypochondria. They seem to be energetic, driven, happy people. The idea that ME is a psychosomatic issue is shown to be nonsense.

As a spoonie I laughed to recognize a dozen or so "miracle cures" Brea tries that I've tried too. Awkward moments she had that I've had too (and felt like I was the only weirdo on earth to go through it). For anyone with chronic illness it's a validating movie, seeing that we're not alone.

I think this movie would be a great way for someone who is acquainted with a spoonie but not close enough to them to see their 24/7 life. Cousins, coworkers, classmates... this could help them understand. I think it would be a great addition to any class on disability discrimination, like to teach medical professionals or social workers to put themselves in the shoes of a sick person.

Brea and her guy are a very sweet couple, heartwarmingly devoted. And they're very educated & charming & good looking. It's easy to watch them discuss their life. The message of the film may be a downer but these folks and their friends are so lovable it's actually mostly pleasant to spend the time "with" them. Please don't avoid this movie because you think it will be depressing. It's a fascinating and exciting show, packed with information and very intimate moments. What I was left with was respect for the disabled, desire to see justice for those abandoned by the healthcare system (the research budget for ME is ridiculously small compared to other less life-ruining illnesses!!)... I feel stronger and more motivated to be a good citizen, after watching this. Not depressed, inspired.

Unrest is a spellbinding masterpiece of storytelling, art, and social injustice commentary. Filmmaker Jennifer Brea brilliantly combines hypnotizing visuals, captivating music, and interweaving plot threads to engross the audience and masterfully accomplish what every good artwork should: profound and lasting emotion that spurs its audience to think, feel, and act in new ways. Indeed, and amazingly in a single film, Unrest evokes profound sadness, crushing frustration, mad fury, and finally hopeful epiphany that through this film and its social justice campaign, moviegoers can change the world — not just for the benefit of ME patients, but also for the benefit of the world.

Jen Brea is one of the severely ill due to ME/CFS. She films herself, directs, interviews doctors and patients via Skype, and edits mostly from her bed in order to document the severity of her disease (and millions worldwide) and how she and her husband, her caretaker, now have to forge a different life than the one they had imagined for themselves.

Patients experience neurological issues with sound and light sensitivity and coordination, pain, POTS, cognition issues, and debilitating fatigue. Exertion whether physical or mental will bring on crashes where symptoms worsen. Doctors and researchers discuss the disease.

Jen Brea started making this film while she was bedbound with a terrible - and terribly misunderstood - illness. It took her three years or more, but the finished product is very polished and emotionally devastating - while also offering notes of hope and uplift. The film follows Brea and other patients as they struggle to find sympathetic doctors and caring family members. Jen's story is the main throughline - she hits a low point after doctors tell her she has 'conversion disorder,' and then she begins to find meaning by connecting with other patients online. We see her formulate the idea for a film as she begins talking with other patients. It is a heavy film about a neglected illness - but there are moments of levity and joy sprinkled throughout. At the screening I went to, the audience laughed at appropriate spots. And at the end, a women in the audience stood up and said she finally understood what had been wrong with her for so many years. Getting this film out to medical professionals will help fill the gaps left by medical schools, which do not teach very much, if anything, about the illness known as myalgic encephalomyelitis. The CDC renamed in chronic fatigue syndrome in the 1980's, but as you'll see in the film, that name has done a lot of damage in terms of misperceptions and stigma.