In conjunction with Another Eye, Catherina Cramer will speak about the making of her forthcoming, as-yet incomplete short film INSICKURE. The project was preceded by years-long and wide-ranging research into ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome), in the course of which Cramer conducted interviews with specialist physicians, medical historians, virologists, and people living with the condition. For INSICKURE’s screenplay, Cramer fused research documentation with personal experience to create a narrative film collage. In a near future in which scores of people suddenly and unexplainedly fall ill with permanent and seemingly untreatable fatigue, protagonist and self-appointed health detective Dylan—who herself suffers from the condition—seeks to discover the mysterious cause of the illness and meets with stubborn resistance, both from her own doctor and the impenetrable network of the healthcare system.

The seemingly dystopian scenario of Cramer’s film quickly evokes parallels with today’s reality, in which cases of ME/CFS have risen rapidly since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. While long known to medical science, chronic fatigue syndrome has been little researched. Per recent medical findings the disease can be triggered by a viral infection, leading to symptoms including extreme insomnia, flu-like complaints, and severe pain. Those living with the condition are often met with a lack of support, both from their immediate social sphere and from the norms of a society that demands physical functionality and readiness to work. INSICKURE explains the condition in a multi-layered way and questions the social demand for unconditional collective productivity.

The presentation will be accompanied by a discussion between Catherina Cramer and social scientist Dr. Helene Gerhards.

Another Eye is supported by The Gingko Foundation.