The Celiac Project is a dynamic, first-of-its-kind hour long documentary about life before and after the diagnosis of celiac disease. The inspiration for this film came after the director and Evanston native, Michael Frolichstein, struggled with a series of “mystery aliments” before finally being diagnosed with celiac disease at age 40. Michael was shocked to learn that this auto-immune disease, which affects 1% of the US population, is 83% undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. His journey to meet others who had suffered, as well as get answers from experts, led him to Kickstarter, a public internet funding site, where he raised $35,000 last summer to produce and take his documentary on the road. He’s already piqued the interest of Boulder Brands (owners of Udi’s and Glutino) who hosted his premier in Colorado this spring and who want to sponsor snacks at future screenings. Then, a couple of weeks ago, his hometown library in Evanston Illinois hosted a screening with the filmmaker and a medical panel for a lively Q&A.
The documentary ultimately explores what we can do individually and as a society to advance the conversation and raise awareness about the disease. See a trailer of the film below or learn more at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/celiacproject