Anyone who hears the diagnosis of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's receives the sentence "life imprisonment" at the same time.
Yasmin Rams, mid-30s, director and producer based in Darmstadt with the production company Perennial Lens, describes how she had to adjust to lifelong prison after the first epileptic seizure, using her own case as an example.
She lets other people with comparable illnesses have their say, who have one thing in common with her: They don't give up and they don't (only) trust conventional medicine.
Rams, who is now active in the Hessian film scene as a regional spokesperson for the working group of documentary filmmakers and with the Young Talents of the Hessian film scene, begins with a nightmare, with what feels like falling into the water and the perception of blue lights and blurred faces.
Her story as an epileptic continues with tests and medication, and actionism in the search for rescue, which can also lead into the arms of profiteers and quacks.
In addition to the symptoms of the disease, there are side effects of the treatment, ranging from shortness of breath to loss of appetite and balance disorders to cramps.
A commitment to life
The young woman decides to rebel, decides to change her diet and seeks alternative treatment options.
She not only comes into contact with Ayurveda, Qigong, marijuana and a hallucinogenic plant in the Amazon forest, but also with the fate of the sick from Great Britain to Colombia, from where she brings amazing success stories with her.
She also logs her own sense of achievement with the ayahuasca extract, with the help of which she can reduce the conventional medication to a quarter of the normal dose.
The film is not able to convey the certainty of the effectiveness of alternative therapies, despite the examples of healing successes, but the commitment to life even in a situation that is not worth living.
Rams sees her attempt with hypnotherapy, for example, as a step towards being more aware of her body.
For more than four years, she researched her directorial debut, traveling the globe, interviewing patients and specialists, and posing in front of the camera, including her face scarred by fall injuries.
This is not the only reason why she has succeeded in making a particularly personal film, because she gets involved in the privacy of her protagonists, directing their gaze at captivating landscape panoramas that you don't want to say goodbye to prematurely.
heal yourself; Performances on April 23 in Marburg (Capitol, 7.30 p.m.), on April 28 in Wiesbaden (Caligari, 8 p.m.) and on April 29 in Darmstadt (Rex, 8 p.m.).