I Remember Me (2001)

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Kim A. Snyder was working on Jodie Foster's Home for the Holidays when she was struck with a painful and debilitating illness. Snyder eventually learned that she had what has come to be known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As Snyder began to recover, she was inspired to make this documentary, I Remember Me, which encompasses her own experience with CFS, the experiences of others, the unexamined history of the condition, and the bewilderingly dismissive response of the medical community. Snyder begins by looking at the first recorded outbreak of the illness, which took place in Lake Tahoe, NV, in the mid-'80s. She shows brief interviews with people from the area, including sufferers (some of whom have still not recovered), local doctors, and public relations-types who are eager to dismiss the condition as hypochondria -- to downplay its seriousness in order to alleviate fears and protect the reputation of their resort town. Snyder exposes the CDC's failure to investigate the syndrome thoroughly. The CDC came up with the name "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," naming a complex and serious condition after one of its symptoms, which one sufferer complains is akin to calling tuberculosis "Coughing Disease." Snyder also investigates earlier, unrecognized outbreaks from around the world, including one epidemic in Florida which occurred decades ago. Snyder tracks down survivors and doctors from this outbreak and interviews them about their experience. The heart of Snyder's documentary is her in-depth interviews with sufferers of CFS -- including filmmaker Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther), Olympic gold medallist soccer star Michelle Akers, and a young man named Steven -- bedridden for two years because of the illness -- who Snyder captures attending his high school graduation. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide