Some thoughts and a call for help!

I recently attended a conference at Power to the Pixel on what is happening with online distribution of film. What I found interesting was the way in which people come together and bond virtually (like in Farmville and Facebook), due to a lack of community in their real lives. However, as we see with our online community, the internet has the power to not only make up for this said lack of community, but to supersede it. This new connectivity has allowed us to come together as we have with the website, this blog (100 countries and counting!) and the real gold, our Vimeo community. Here you, from all corners of our globe, have come together to share stories and more importantly your support for each other. If you have not yet checked it out, join in! The stories show us that by using the connectivity of the internet, no one stands alone. Click here to go to the group page.

Also if you have donated to our film through the button on the homepage, please let us know as we would like a clear record of your name and contact, many thanks! Visit Digital Documentaries or email us at doubledmedocs@googlemail.com.

We also have a big call for help in Sweden, Spain, Australia and Canada. We would like to film in your countries, but for that we need help with the budget of the film. Therefore, if you would like the scientists, doctors and sufferers in your respective country focused upon in the film, then you can help! If you know of any private party or funding institute whom would be seriously interested in becoming involved then please let us know using the contact above!

More again soon

New Addition

Well here we are in September and what do we have - DEVELOPMENT money that is what!!! Our first executive producer has come on board, who wishes to remain anonymous at this time, but what they have done is put us on the road to production! We are eternally grateful, and will shortly begin the process - what is the process you may ask? Well here we go, this coming up

: To finally form the story that we will follow, i.e. to start the schedule of where and who we will film, this includes many conversations, meetings, travel and research.

: To start filming issues that we cannot miss out on.

: To go full on for production sourcing for funds

: To make a trailer on what the film will be.

: To find the best cinematographers, editor, composer, distribution company and post production team that we can muster.

Now we have and are seeking interest from the global community, so the plan has grown from covering the UK and the USA to the world. We are in conversation with several countries at the moment, including Sweden, Spain, Pakistan and Australia. If you would like your country featured please contact us.

More to announce soon, onwards and upwards!

Call for Donations

Millions of people suffer from it worldwide. Twice as many as those who suffer from multiple sclerosis. Anyone can get it. There is no cure. Why should we care? Because it could be you!

WHAT ABOUT ME? Inside the dramatic search for a cure to ME/CFS, is a feature documentary that tells the powerful story of a mother's motivation to cure her daughter of an illness that has no diagnosis and no cure, with no place to go she vows to find a cure herself, whilst her daughter becomes more sick and confined to a wheelchair. The story of what love can do, is powerfully weaved through the world of suffering with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

17 million people around the world suffer from this mystery illness. It destroys lives, leaving people bed-bound and racked with pain suffering with devastating memory loss and confusion, unable to tolerate even the smallest amount of light or noise, and to this point there has been no known cure, but now at last, it seems that scientists may have found the answer.

The Whittemore Peterson Institute founded by Annette Whittemore to find a cure for her daughter, welcomed Dr Judy Mikovitz to their ranks. A straight talking cancer specialist, outraged by the lack of attention the illness ME was getting, and convinced that it must be related to a virulent virus, made it her mission to discover more - she believes she has - with a newly discovered human retrovirus XMRV she holds responsible for ME. With so much at stake will XMRV be revealed to be the cause of the illness? Will governments concede this to be true? Can it be treated with anti- retroviral drugs like HIV/AIDS, will this illness be wiped off the planet? Has Dr Mikovitz found the cure?

Click here if you would like to make a contribution to the film. Every dollar counts, and with your help, we will reveal the truth.

Thank you so much. Double D Productions.

New Vimeo Group - The Start of an Online Community

We have spoken to you on facebook and twitter, on emails, even on the phone for some. NOW however, we want to see you! Not just in still photos but in your life.

We have set up a Vimeo group to upload your stories and experiences. We feel this will be a way of getting to know you more and a way for you to see and know each other! Let's start building the biggest forum of ME/CFS sufferers on the planet.

A minute or two, shot even from your phone, to upload on the link we have here. We want you in your location, just as you are. We look forward to meeting you!

Susan

New link and Update

Often, in fact daily, I am presented with many facts emerging or known on the subject of ME and association thereof. Much is widely posted, and I am pleased to receive it, however I received the following from Christine Douglas and not knowing how much this will get around, I will also post it here and if anyone has any further comments or knowledge on Christine's subject, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Also, we are now completing the proposal and budget, so very soon will know how much moolah we will need! Then it's out to the planet to help raise funds as we are gearing up for a start time of production. There will be much more news on this very soon, but in the meantime we will return to the WPI's opening in Nevada in August, as the Institute and its operators will feature strongly in the story. So return often to catch the updates!

Moving Ahead

There are still many of your stories coming in and we value your time and energy in relating them to us. Thank you so much. We are still looking at them all to make a decision, so if you feel inclined to share your history and future with us, then please share a one sheet report.

We are continuing to be discovered all the time,which means that you are helping spread the word, again thank you. The latest find is the blog of Mindy Kitel's CFS Central do check it out not only for our glowing write up, but the mass of information that she accrues there.

Now we must mention here, judging from some emails that we are receiving, that in no way shape or form can you judge the film from the teaser trailers, or the confirmed interviewees, (which actually means the people in the teasers) we are in the process of development, which means just that. The film will not resemble the teasers, they are there to give the gist of where we are going, but if different paths open then we will explore them. Again, it is the nature of the beast for change to occur in documentary storytelling. We go with the story there is no script or set locations, written in stone. I hope this clears any confusion.


Do keep tuned!

Spanish Translation

Have you see that our two videos have been translated into Spanish! You'll find them on these links.
What About Me? US Promo (Spanish Subtitles)
What About Me? UK Promo (Spanish Subtitles)

Carlos Gonzalez is from Spain. He stepped forward and offered to do this for us! How great is that?! We are touched by the efforts of so many that have sent to video and are doing all they can to have the maximum outreach possible!

Also, thank you for your touching stories. We are reading them all; Please keep them coming. We cannot promise that they all will be featured, but there will be acknowledgment to each one of you when the film is produced. Keep the faith!

So we progress

Thank you all for your great feedback, support and encouragement, since the launch of the new teaser trailer. We are now moving to the detailed research required for the film. We are fortunate to have on board a well experienced researcher Paula Nightingale, who has a long list of documentaries under her belt, aided by Tony Hill with a degree in documentary research, but who became a ME sufferer himself, unable to pursue his career he has generously given the time and energy that he can muster to join us for the film.

Here I would like to make clear, as judging from some comments we are receiving, what we see in the teaser trailers is not necessarily the way we will go forward with the film. They are in place to give the essence of what we will come up with, but the film itself will be a much bigger story, not just a bigger version of the trailers. We hope to deliver a film that will not be overlooked by anyone, whether in the ME community or not, this is being presented to the planet.

We can track how many people are viewing the trailers, and I am delighted to announce that so far we have 39 countries on the count, keep spreading this to all you know, we are aiming this everywhere!

Susan Douglas
susan@digitaldocumentaries.co.uk

The Nature of the Beast

In documentary filmmaking, one never quite knows what you're getting next. We don't have scripts and sets to immerse in as with feature films, and such is the case with this. We will now proceed outside the realm of any fictional book. This story is so vast , we are changing our way forward for production. Therefore although we fully endorse Nasim Marie Jafry's book The State of Me finding it a good read with a great ironic humor to it, we will no longer be stepping into it with a scripted portrayal in our film. Do however give a read if you haven't already, a well told story of the plight of an ME sufferer, available on Amazon.

Cannes Film Festival

Just jumping into the doc again after the Cannes experience. In spite of all the hoopla you see and hear on this major film festival, some very serious business gets done there and should be on every filmmakers calendar. So grateful for the new contacts that I have made, now returning to the great weather here - and the ongoing story of our film. Jumped into action with a visit to Whitehall to watch the demonstration organized through Facebook on the plight of ME. Although the supporters were not as many as expected, some very ill people showed up, (there may have been a clash with the Invest in ME conference also taking place in London today) visit the link on the back page. It was nice to meet a Facebook friend or two. Some of the demonstrators went on to talk to their MP in the Houses of Parliament. This all gives more impetus again to get this film on the road! Will return to our patient editor Oli this week to complete the new teaser trailer shortly coming to the site. Keep tuned.

Questionnaire on the documentary

Hello, all. We have put together a questionnaire on the documentary. We would love to have your input, so if you would like to download the questionnaire, fill it in and send it back to doubledmedocs@googlemail.com we would appreciate it!

click here to download the questionnaire

Hope everyone is doing well!

The ash subsided enough to let me back into the UK

After a great week or so in LA with lots of talks on funding, and attending the Britweek conference, it was time to return to the UK. Hit the ground running when the hearing of Dr Sarah Myhill came up at the General Medical Council. For those of you who have not heard of this do go to her site www.drmyhill.co.uk. She is a very popular doctor who has helped hundreds of ME/CFS sufferers.They demonstrated for her in their wheelchairs and breathing tubes, do check out the news feeds and www.theoneclickgroup.com. We have it all on film, and it will be inserted here on the site, when we recut the new trailer. There is lots of great interviews from Nevada, which you will also be seeing.
More later.

To recap on Reno

SUCH a productive trip I interviewed Annette Whittemore, and her daughter Andrea, a sufferer of ME/CFS, whose suffering instigated the start of the Whittemore Peterson Institute. This family is doing all they can to further the cure of ME, with the help of course of Dr Dan Peterson, the tireless doctor who has been involved with the research ever since the outbreak in Incline Village. Lake Tahoe in the 1980’s. Great interviews from these pioneers, and stunning revelations from Dr Judy Mikovitz, the brilliant scientist who of course came up with the XMRV discovery.Such a wonderfully supportive team of people around them , whose names are posted on the interviewees. So much gleaned from all of them, plus heart wrenching stories from the sufferers. I met with great co-operation from all concerned and I know there can be no better place on earth at this moment in time that will further the development of the cure of ME/CFS.

Then I took the road to Los Angeles – time for a little film business! (A little recommendation here) If you ever do this there is only one way to go - in my opinion - down the 395 south- what a drive!! Just beautiful, snow capped mountains , and azure lakes, through old Indian territory, for miles and miles. Takes about 8 hours, and worth every minute.

More later.

Great News From Nevada!

Wow - now in the" Biggest Little City in America" Reno Nevada , the home of the `Whittemore Peterson Institute - such a revelation of the dedication here to the cause and treatment of ME/CFS! Have met with Annette Whittemore, a great pioneer for the cause, whom has single-handedly made the inroad to the construction of the new Institute on the campus of the University of Nevada. it will be spectacular and a huge addition to the campus to say nothing of what will be discovered here. Such high hopes for the progression of the discovery of the XMRV virus , did you know that hey are testing 250 sufferers from the UK? Alas there is no one doing such there! America rescues us , yet one more time again - what is the UK doing? Well not much from what i can determine so far. I have such a plethora of reports. i will have to sit back and discern the way we shall proceed here. Just believe me that there will be so much revelation from this trip, that it may take up pages!! Keep tuned.