Documentary about I AM ALS seeks to inspire, raise awareness
Film will stream globally and at inaugural Community Summit in US capital
A new documentary about I AM ALS and the “revolutionary movement” begun by the organization’s founders — which will stream globally on May 28 — is seeking to advance awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders while inspiring others to fight for change.
Called “For Love and Life: No Ordinary Campaign,” the film is presented by Amazon MGM Studios and is a Lima Charlie production in association with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The documentary has been screened at locations nationwide since May 16, and will stream worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. On May 30, it will be shown in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. To reserve tickets, send an email to [email protected].
The movie launch coincides with the I AM ALS inaugural Community Summit, to be held in the U.S. capital from May 29 to June 1. The meeting is an opportunity for networking, collaboration, and learning about important community issues.
During that week, the organization also will host its third annual ALS Awareness Month flag event, displaying 6,000 flags on the National Mall, symbolizing the number of U.S. residents estimated to be diagnosed annually with the progressive disease.
“These events are critical to our goals this ALS Awareness Month — improving public understanding of ALS, advocating for community needs, and community togetherness,” Andrea Goodman, CEO of I AM ALS, said in a press release.
I AM ALS also launching Community Summit to run May 29-June 1
Calling those affected by ALS “the best experts,” Goodman said the focus of the summit will be on issues that impact the community.
“It’s our duty to provide a platform for them to learn from each other’s experiences, inform the public and other stakeholders, and advocate for meaningful change. We look forward to uniting with our community and partner organizations to drive progress and make our voices heard,” Goodman said.
The documentary, already screen in more than 15 cities across the U.S., follows the life of Sandra Abrevaya and her husband Brian Wallach, beginning with the fallout from Wallach’s 2017 ALS diagnosis at age 37. It tells the story of their founding, in 2019, of I AM ALS, a community-led nonprofit organization that supports patients and their families, advocates for them, and seeks to transform the ALS research ecosystem to find a cure.
“Exemplifying bravery, inspiration, and hope, they fight with an incredible community of advocates against a broken system for their own future, while seeking to build a brighter one for countless others,” an I AM ALS webpage states about the documentary.
It’s our duty to provide a platform for [those affected by ALS] to learn from each other’s experiences, inform the public and other stakeholders, and advocate for meaningful change. We look forward to uniting with our community and partner organizations to drive progress and make our voices heard.
The organization called the film’s release an important step in heightening public awareness of ALS and other neurodegenerative conditions, while inspiring individuals globally to believe they can change the world.
In a film trailer, Abrevaya talks about meeting Wallach while working on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, ultimately followed by an upending diagnosis.
“We found out Brian had ALS the day we came home from the hospital with our second daughter,” said Abrevaya, who married Wallach in 2013.
The documentary depicts their home life and day-to-day struggles, and includes commentary by Obama and members of the ALS community.
At one point in the documentary, Wallach says: “When you’re told that the world you believed you were going to live in is no longer there, you have to either curl up into a ball or act.”
Directed by Christopher Burke, the documentary was produced by Burke and Tim Rummel. Its executive producers are Wallach and Abrevaya, as well as Jeff MacGregor, Katie Couric, and Phil Rosenthal.
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