Featuring Four Stories, Including WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne’s Fight For Survival Against Lyme Disease, The Call-To-Action Documentary Signals For Greater Awareness, Testing And Treatment Options
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE
I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick is a powerful documentary that chronicles three families and a WNBA MVP who are fighting for survival against Lyme disease. The film highlights the physical, emotional, and financial toll the disease takes on their lives, as well as the urgent need for greater awareness, testing, and treatment options. Through their stories, I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick is a call to action, to understand and support the millions of people worldwide who are living with this devastating illness.
LOS ANGELES, CA – April 4, 2023 – Sypher Studios and Fieldhouse Productions announced today that the companies have partnered with Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) to release the incomparable call-to-action documentary, I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick. The powerful film chronicles three families and WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne’s fight for survival against Lyme disease. Shot by Emmy Award-Winning Cinematographer Clair Popkin (Free Solo, the film won the Academy Award) and Directed by Elle Brooks-Tao, I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick will be available to buy or rent on demand May 30th, during National Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
Inspired by Executive Producer Kim Cleworth’s (Exposure) family’s journey, I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick highlights the physical, emotional and financial toll that tick-borne disease takes on the lives of millions of Americans. It also features expert doctors, researchers, advocates and politicians.
With 476,000 new cases of Lyme reported each year, many of those suffering feel isolated and alone in their journey. The disease is often not properly diagnosed, and most doctors don’t know how to treat it.
Clair Popkin, Director of Photography, I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick added, “I was excited to work on a project like this since I always try to work on things that matter or can help change the world in a positive way. Shining a light on this disease that affects so many people seemed like it mattered. I grew up in the North East where Lyme disease is very present, and people in my family have had Lyme, so I was very aware of the terrible consequences it can have when not diagnosed or treated appropriately. In that sense, this project was personal, too. I think documentary films have the power to inform the national consciousness and hearing directly from people who have been impacted by Lyme, their families, and the medical professionals treating them seemed like the best and most powerful approach to show the true scope of this disease’s impact.
Executive Producers on I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick include Kim and Atty Cleworth for Fieldhouse Productions and Nonny de la Peña (touted as the “Godmother of Virtual Reality”). Producers are Jens Jacob and Jason Pamer for Sypher Studios. The Director is Elle Brooks-Tao and the Director of Photography is Clair Popkin. In addition to the film, Cleworth and de la Peña produced a tangential immersive VR project titled Please Believe Me. The project premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival in June 2022.
Supporting Lyme Disease research and awareness is a cause that is important to Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Christopher Meloni who had this to say about I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick: “A great film that details the harrowing journey of Lyme disease. A journey of desperation, misinformation, intransigence and intentional malfeasance by those who set the medical guidelines.”
I’m Not Crazy, I’m Sick is the latest film coming out of Sypher Studios. Most recently, the studio released Cancer Alley alongside Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media, and The Heart of Man, which has been released theatrically in 30+ countries around the world. The studio is currently in development on six projects with two set to release this year.
