I've just watched the new #MEcfs documentary @forgottenplague. Here are my thoughts. #MyalgicE #CFS #MyE #ME
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Some quick thoughts on "Forgotten Plague: M.E. and the Future of Medicine"
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I've just watched a preview copy of "Forgotten Plague: M.E. and the Future of Medicine"", a documentary on ME/CFS. It's 69 minutes long.

I thought it was very good.

I don't know anything about the art of film-making and so don't know how to rate it as any sort of expert. About the only thing I might know about film-making is just having a few people talking to the camera, "talking heads", can be a bit visually boring: I don't think that happens with this as there are a wide variety of visuals throughout the picture. There is a lot of people talking to the camera (or to Ryan) but it's not just a few people but dozens of patients, carers/caregivers, clinicians and researchers and they're in their own environments rather than the same environment e.g. studio.

As an ME/CFS activist and patient, I'm very happy with it [I can be picky: there are some things in (other) media coverage I don't like e.g. suggestions that the illness can be treated effectively with a change of attitude or behaviour but that doesn't come up in this]. No alarm bells went off when I watched this.

It doesn't shy away from talking about how difficult this illness can be to live with, including highlighting severe cases, but at the same time, I don't think it is depressing as it highlights how research can make a difference (particularly at the end).

I'd like to thank all the patients, carers/caregivers and experts who took part.

Thanks also to all who donated to help make it happen.

And thanks in particular to Ryan (Prior), Nicole (Castillo) and their team for all the work in filming and putting it all together.

I hope to help organise some screenings in Ireland and hope there will be lots of screenings around the globe.

To find out more:
Forgotten Plague website: www.forgottenplague.com
Forgotten Plague Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/CFSDocumentary

Tom

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