Adults With Bleeding Disorders Invited to Take Part in Documentary
Believe Limited, continuing a partnership with BioMarin Pharmaceutical and working with the Foundation for Art & Healing, announced plans to produce a documentary film on the everyday challenges and victories of living with a bleeding disorder.
The digital content production company, again with the support of BioMarin, produced “Hemophilia: The Musical” that premiered in New York City in November 2018 as part of its Breaking Through! program for the community.
People ages 18 and older in the U.S. with hemophilia, or who are carriers or siblings of patients are invited to apply to be featured in the documentary, as are those affected by von Willebrand disease, another genetic bleeding disorder.
A total of 10 people will be chosen to tell their stories in the documentary. Applications will be accepted through 11.59 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 21.
“For those with a rare, chronic, and often misunderstood disease such as hemophilia, the everyday frustrations can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness,” Jeremy Nobel, MD, a lecturer on global health and social medicine at Harvard University’s Medical School and founder and president of The Foundation for Art & Healing, said in a press release.
“We’re thrilled to be a partner supporting the Breaking Through! program as we’ve long championed the story-telling power of film and filmmaking to engage and create authentic connections,” Nobel added. This program “offers a creative pathway for those in the bleeding disorder community to become more connected, confident, and engaged in their own self-care.”
Virtual and in-person workshops and productions will take place from June to October to help show selected adults the healing power of the arts and self-expression. At the workshops, they also will learn about filmmaking, including writing, directing, editing, selecting props, and decorating sets.
The Believe Limited production team will then travel to participants’ hometowns to capture their stories. The resulting documentary will be shown during a special fall event and made available to the bleeding disorder community.
“Since its start in 2018, the Breaking Through! program has helped to educate hundreds of people in the bleeding disorder community about how artistic expression can help to improve their health and lives,” said Patrick James Lynch, a hemophilia advocate, filmmaker, and Believe Limited’s CEO.
“This year, our team is proud to bring our collective experience as writers, producers, directors, and editors to empower members of the community with the production of a hyper-creative, multi-vision, multi-format documentary about life with a bleeding disorder,” Lynch added.
BioMarin, which is developing Roctavian as a potential gene therapy for severe hemophilia A, is the exclusive sponsor of the Believe Limited program. The Foundation for Art & Healing will assist the production through its experience in using the arts to address illness.
“BioMarin is proud to continue our support of the Breaking Through! program in our mission to lift the voice of the hemophilia community,” said Chuck Bucklar, the company’s senior vice president of commercial operations for North America.
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