When you search 'movies about epilepsy', Under the Lights is high on page one of google. That's terrible news for the state of epilepsy in the public eye.
The fact that Under the Lights even makes the list means that the amount of universal, empathetic representations in the world is really, REALLY low.
You can see the film HERE.
My short film, Under the Lights, is about a boy with epilepsy who goes to prom knowing it will make him have a seizure. I made this because I believe that most movies get seizures wrong on screen, leading to a great deal of stigma. When people think 'seizure', they go to the frightening point of reference that they got from a hospital show or a horror movie. A moment designed to scare them. What would happen if the portrayal that people thought of when they heard 'epilepsy' was an empathetic story?
Epilepsy affects 1 in 26 people in their lifetime. And despite being the fourth most common neurological disorder, we almost never get time on screen as lovable human beings, and we've suffered for it.
Here are some wonderful epilepsy films that SHOULD make page one, and why you’ve never heard of them.
This film was directed by the late epilepsy advocate and my friend Jim Abrahams. Jim was an industry hero. He produced Airplane! and the The Naked Gun series. The film is based on his family’s experience with epilepsy and his personal mission to share with the world what saved his real life son. First Do No Harm follows Meryl Streep as she struggles to find treatment for her son's catastrophic seizures. The doctors believe the right thing to do is to sedate the child with brutal medications, rendering him nearly comatose. Streep turns to the Ketogenic Diet, which, at the time, was accused of being pseudoscience. Today, and likely in part because of Jim's efforts to promote the diet, specific keto diets are considered effective epilepsy treatment for the right patients. The diet cured his real life son. His family started the Charlie Foundation, continuing his crusade to get the word out.
What Happened?
How did a movie starring MERYL STREEP get lost? It could be the educational approach, or a public aversion to epilepsy as subject matter in the 90's. But, if epilepsy is close to you, you'll cry like a baby. This is an important film.
The Rider belongs to Academy Award Winning Director Chloe Zhao. It's a gorgeous portrayal of a young rodeo rider who wants nothing more than to get back on the horse after a brutal fall leaves him with an epilepsy diagnosis. He's told that under no uncertain terms if he rides again he will continue to have seizures. He gets a dose of reality taking care of his younger sister and visiting his hospitalized friend who became far more disabled as a result riding injuries. Super relatable to anyone who has felt interrupted by a diagnosis.
What Happened?
This film could have been HUGE for epilepsy awareness. Unfortunately, a vast audience went completely untapped because they never used the word 'epilepsy' in the film. The doctor character only ever says 'seizures'. The important note is that epilepsy is typically defined as a disorder where a person has two or more unprovoked seizures. By that definition, the hero has epilepsy. A shame to have lost this community as an audience!
Electricity is a film out of the U.K. about a women trying to find her brother, facing setbacks with her epilepsy diagnosis. It does a great job at using strong creative choices to depict seizures while being a very empathetic portrayal that gets to the nuances most films do not. It really puts the character's experience first, and the seizures are never simply a device.
What Happened?
Electricity is great. I think it's simply a product of the reality of independent film. Most films, without a huge marketing budget, have trouble getting enough public attention that they can float at the top for years and years. Watch it and help boost it back up the list!
One More
Alright. I'll make the plug.
I made the Under the Lights short because I wanted to take the approach Hollywood shies from. I wanted epilepsy to be front and center. Other disabilities are not hidden in Hollywood screenplays. Why not ours? Our challenges come with universal feelings - rejection, being misunderstood, and feeling left behind.
The Under the Lights short film proved that audiences crave that portrayal. Fan art and super fans have poured out from all corners of the internet. We really are in a position to change everything for the conversation around epilepsy stigma.
We deserve to have our stories highlighted. If you're interested in our movement, watch the film HERE and let the world know if you like it!
EXCITING NEWS!
We made the FULL Under the Lights film, with huge stars and big power, we will deliver the most impactful moment for epilepsy awareness in HISTORY.
To be the first to find out when the full movie is released - put your email in HERE.
SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE!
