Time for Lyme announces it is sponsoring a screening of Under Our Skin this Wednesday, November 11th, at the ArcLight Theatre in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles. The film is being screened as part of a series, organized by TheWrap.com, during which eight leading motion pictures considered to be contenders for major film awards (Oscars, DGA awards, etc.) will be shown. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Andy Abrahams Wilson, the film Director, and actress Joanna Kerns.
“Time for Lyme is eager to support this screening of Under Our Skin as part of our ongoing efforts to generate awareness about the devastating affects of Lyme,” comments Deborah Burnaman, VP special events with Time for Lyme, a Greenwich, CT based Lyme disease advocacy, education and support organization. “This movie offers an unprecedented opportunity for people from all walks of life to learn about Lyme disease and all its aspects. We are happy to be a part of this national education,” adds Burnaman.
Under Our Skin is the only documentary to have been selected by TheWrap.com for this series. More information about the series is available at http://www.thewrap.com/screeningseries. The screenings are being held at an upscale cinema complex. Information about the theater can be found at https://www.arclightcinemas.com/ArcLight/faces/Home.jsp.
Under Our Skin played at the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT on July 15, 2009 to a full house. That screening was followed by a question and answer period with Director Andy Abrahams Wilson and leading CT Lyme authority Dr. Charles Ray Jones.
Under Our Skin has been widely acclaimed in film festivals nationally and internationally. It was a Finalist in the Audience Choice Award category at the Tribeca Film Festival (World Premiere). It was also the winner in the Best Documentary category at a number of film festivals including the Houston International Film Festival, The Durango Independent Film Festival, The Okanagan (Canada) International Film Festival and the Camden International Film Festival.
The movie is a powerful and often terrifying look not only at the science and politics of the disease, but also the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed. From a few brave doctors who risk their medical licenses, to patients who once led active lives but now can barely walk, the film uncovers a hidden world that will astound viewers. While exposing a broken health care and medical research system, the film also gives voice to those who believe that instead of a crisis, Lyme is simply a "disease du jour," over diagnosed and contributing to another crisis: the looming resistance of microbes and ineffectuality of antibiotics.
About Lyme disease
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with more than 20,000 new cases officially reported every year. Unofficial counts are much higher. Lyme has been found in all 50 states with a strikingly high percentage of its victims being children.
Children are particularly vulnerable because they are outside a lot, especially in the early summer, when ticks are most plentiful. If they become infected, kids may experience headaches, fatigue and flu-like symptoms. If the disease is left untreated, children may also develop muscular and joint problems, learning and behavioral problems, depression, nerve damage, memory loss and other cognitive, psychiatric and neurological problems.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium carried in certain ticks. Most, but not all, people infected with Lyme will see a bull’s-eye rash at the site of the tick bite between three and 30 days after infection. While this rash is a definitive symptom of Lyme, most diagnostic tests for the disease are unreliable and may produce false negatives.
About Time for Lyme
Time for Lyme is an organization dedicated to eliminating the devastating effects of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness. Its mission is to prevent the spread of disease, develop definitive diagnostic tools and effective treatments, and to ultimately find a cure for tick-borne illness by supporting research, education, and the acquisition and dissemination of information. In addition, TFL continues to act as an advocate for Lyme disease sufferers and their families through support of legislative reform on the federal, state and local levels. www.timeforlyme.org.
