My Gold Lining: A Documentary on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Logline:
My Gold Lining: A Documentary on Hidradenitis Suppurativa (MGL) is a medical documentary centered on the lives of two African American women battling a chronic skin condition while establishing careers as beauty and health influencers. In the end they unearth the courage to stand in their truth and inspire others to do the same.
Narrative Synopsis:
Sometimes life trips you up. When it does, getting back on your feet can be overwhelming. However, the process can be made easier with help and support from friends, families, and professionals. Even with these support systems, some battles are still fought alone because only a number of people can truly grasp what is being experienced. Some have found their communities but that number can be outweighed by those who haven’t and unfortunately in these cases the only voice cheering them on is their own.
My Gold Lining (MGL), is a medical documentary delving into the lives of two African American women battling a debilitating skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (hs). Jasmine IVANNA Espy and Antonia Jannee have varying support systems but ultimately are left to to deal with the emotional, mental and physical impact hs has on their lives 24/ 7, 365. In the midst of romance and self discovery, they find glimmers of hope within their careers and passions subsequently providing a light at the end of the tunnel for not only themselves but other patients just like them.
Hs is a debilitating auto inflammatory disease producing boils in the armpits, groin, back, thighs, buttocks, and stomach. Patients have also experienced it on their heads, legs, ears, necks, and more. In addition to unexpected boils, patients with more advanced or severe disease experience chronic open wounds, sinus tracts, and overlapping scar tissue from wounds that have healed in the past. Researchers estimate the chronic illness affects 1-4% of the population with the largest subgroup being African American women.
With this statistic in mind, writer, producer, and director Jasmine IVANNA Espy has developed this documentary to address the disparity in representation of the Black experience in the medical and hs community. MGL fills this gap by highlighting two of the many Black lives living with hs. Through this work, she is seeking to normalize hs in the public eye much like breast cancer, psoriasis, and diabetes. She is using personal hs stories, individual achievements, and their context to tell a universal story––a story about defeating the stigmas around disease directly affecting our ability to live and thrive.
Antonia Jannee, a YouTube beauty influencer from Maryland, is diagnosed with hs in high school. As her condition worsens she learns how to flip a negative into a positive while establishing her brand in the beauty industry. Along with unpacking the impact hs had in her childhood, she too delves into the complexities of living with a chronic illness and being actively in an intimate relationship with her boyfriend Grayson.
IVANNA, who is diagnosed in middle school, is the anomaly. Her story of diagnosis, treatment, and remission was successful in part to Western medicine and natural remedies. Through changing her diet and adopting an active lifestyle she was able to find relief and brief remission, but things take a turn as she flies to Los Angeles, California to attend grad school.
As Jannee and IVANNA lean into their vulnerability and personal narratives, dermatologists, psychologists, naturopathic physicians, and alternative healers contextualize the impact of hs on the mind, body, and soul. The stories featured are a few of the many existing in the world from the United States to India to the Caribbean Islands to Australia.
In the end, Jannee and IVANNA encourage hs patients, no matter what they’re going through, to stand in their truth and personal narratives. They realize the only way to normalize and bring awareness to hs is by speaking up about our individual experiences. Jannee and IVANNA drive this home through tapping into their respective careers and passions and by being living examples of the various ways patients can tell their story.
Total Donation Budget In US Dollars
$32,000
