I Remember Me
Encyclopedia
I Remember Me is a is a biographical documentary
about chronic fatigue syndrome
, filmed in the United States
by Kim A. Snyder. The film attempts to show just how devastating the illness can be to persons afflicted with the illness.
Snyder's travels are chronicled for four years as she tries to find answers about the mysterious illness she was diagnosed with. The motivation for Snyder was her fluctuating partial improvements followed by relapses of debilitating symptoms she experienced. Snyder was given many contradictory diagnoses for her symptoms along with various drugs that were of no help to her.
The movie explains that there are medical experts that refuse to believe the illness exists, and among those that do, no one knows what causes it, how a person acquires it, or how it may be cured.
Snyder's movie researches the history of the disease which takes her to Florida where a cluster outbreak occurred in 1956, and to Lake Tahoe Nevada where many people became ill in the mid-1980s. The Florida victims were women who were "described in a medical journal as having hysterical paralysis." She interviewed several of the women who became ill and later recovered. A group still meets to discuss their experiences with the illness. The Nevada group was a severe outbreak and Snyder interviewed treating doctor Daniel Peterson
along with several of his patients. Peterson describes how the Centers for Disease Control investigated, but he does not believe that they intended to take the illness seriously. Peterson takes the illness very seriously, and seven of his patients have committed suicide.
Several other notable individuals with Chronic fatigue syndrome are interviewed, and they clearly express their lengthy "excruciating misery" in battling the illness. The interviews included movie director Blake Edwards
, United States Olympic soccer gold medalist Michelle Akers
, and a high school senior in Connecticut, bedridden for two years who is transported by ambulance to his high school graduation.
Snyder thoroughly investigates the illness but by the end of the movie few of the answers she sought at the beginning of her quest have been found.
Snyder is a New York
-based filmmaker who has worked widely on not-for-profit projects in the film world. Kim was struck down with CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) in the mid-1990s while working as an assistant producer with Jodie Foster
on Home For the Holidays
.
:
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
about chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
, filmed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Kim A. Snyder. The film attempts to show just how devastating the illness can be to persons afflicted with the illness.
Snyder's travels are chronicled for four years as she tries to find answers about the mysterious illness she was diagnosed with. The motivation for Snyder was her fluctuating partial improvements followed by relapses of debilitating symptoms she experienced. Snyder was given many contradictory diagnoses for her symptoms along with various drugs that were of no help to her.
The movie explains that there are medical experts that refuse to believe the illness exists, and among those that do, no one knows what causes it, how a person acquires it, or how it may be cured.
Snyder's movie researches the history of the disease which takes her to Florida where a cluster outbreak occurred in 1956, and to Lake Tahoe Nevada where many people became ill in the mid-1980s. The Florida victims were women who were "described in a medical journal as having hysterical paralysis." She interviewed several of the women who became ill and later recovered. A group still meets to discuss their experiences with the illness. The Nevada group was a severe outbreak and Snyder interviewed treating doctor Daniel Peterson
Daniel Peterson (physician)
Daniel Peterson is an American physician in private practice in the state of Nevada, and has been described as a "pioneer" in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome . He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, in 1976 and was an intern and resident at...
along with several of his patients. Peterson describes how the Centers for Disease Control investigated, but he does not believe that they intended to take the illness seriously. Peterson takes the illness very seriously, and seven of his patients have committed suicide.
Several other notable individuals with Chronic fatigue syndrome are interviewed, and they clearly express their lengthy "excruciating misery" in battling the illness. The interviews included movie director Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
, United States Olympic soccer gold medalist Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...
, and a high school senior in Connecticut, bedridden for two years who is transported by ambulance to his high school graduation.
Snyder thoroughly investigates the illness but by the end of the movie few of the answers she sought at the beginning of her quest have been found.
Snyder is a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based filmmaker who has worked widely on not-for-profit projects in the film world. Kim was struck down with CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) in the mid-1990s while working as an assistant producer with Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
on Home For the Holidays
Home for the Holidays (film)
Home for the Holidays is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster and produced by Peggy Rajski and Jodie Foster. The screenplay was by W. D. Richter based on the short story by Chris Radant...
.
Cast
Listed by the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
:
- Kim A. Snyder ... Narrator
- Michelle AkersMichelle AkersMichelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...
... Herself - Jan Armstrong ... Himself - local pastor, Truckee / Tahoe, NV
- Faye Austin ... Herself - patient, Punta Gorda, FL
- Gussie Baker ... Herself - patient, Punta Gorda, FL
- David BellDavid Sheffield BellDavid Sheffield Bell is a retired physician who established a private practice in general medicine in the town of Lyndonville, New York starting in 1979. He has researched extensively on the clinical aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome...
M.D. ... Himself - physician, Lyndonville, NY - Kelly Blank ... Herself - relative of a patient
- Blake Edwards ... Himself - patient
- D.A. Henderson M.D. ... Himself - researcher, Johns Hopkins
- David Hyde M.D. ... Himself - physician
- Jay Levy M.D. ... Himself - immunologist
- Frances Malone ... Herself - patient, Punta Gorda, FL
- Peter Manu M.D. ... Himself - psychiatrist
- Pat McCloud ... Herself - a patient
- Martha McCormick ... Herself - patient, Punta Gorda, FL
- Stephen Paganetti ... Himself - patient, Durham, CT
- Heidi Pask ... Herself - patient at age 12
- Daniel Peterson M.D. ... Himself - physician, Tahoe, NV
- Jean Pollard ... Herself - mother of a patient, Lyndonville, NY
- William Reeves M.D. ... Himself - CDC researcher
- Peter Rowe M.D. ... Himself - researcher at Johns Hopkins
- Robert Shedd M.D. ... Himself - Florida physician
- Alexis Shelakov M.D. ... Himself - researcher, Salk Institute
- Dan Steinmeyer ... Himself - former spokesperson, Incline Village
- Maryan Wiedenfeld ... Herself - sister of a patient
- Leo Wotitzky ... Himself - husband of a patient
Awards
- WINNER, BEST DOCUMENTARY STARZ PEOPLES’ CHOICE AWARD, 2000, DENVER FILM FESTIVAL
- HONORABLE MENTION, GOLDEN STARFISH DOCUMENTARY AWARD, 2000, HAMPTONS FILM FESTIVAL
- FIRST RUNNER UP, AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE, 2001, SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL