Jennifer Brea
Filmmaker | Chronicling Chronic Illness
About
Jennifer Brea is an independent documentary filmmaker who made her directorial debut with the award-winning film 'Unrest. ' Diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, Brea's deeply personal documentary shines a light on this debilitating illness.
Her film has reached over 10 million viewers worldwide, raising awareness and challenging societal perceptions of invisible diseases. With a background in political science from Harvard, Brea's keynotes offer a unique perspective on using filmmaking to drive social change.
Talks1
What happens when you have a disease doctors can't diagnose
Five years ago, TED Fellow Jennifer Brea became progressively ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating illness that severely impairs normal activities and on bad days makes even the rustling of bed sheets unbearable. In this poignant talk, Brea describes the obstacles she's encountered in seeking treatment for her condition, whose root causes and physical effects we don't fully understand, as well as her mission to document through film the lives of patients that medicine struggles to treat.
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