Menkes Disease: Finding Help & Hope
Academy Award nominee Mary McDonnell narrates this look at a rare fatal genetic disorder called Menkes Disease. It prevents boys from metabolizing copper. Boys who get treatment in the first ten days of life can have long and relatively normally lives. If the disease is not detected and treated that early their lives are much shorter and far from normal. This short documentary aims to explain some of the basics of the disease and treatment but also provide context with examples from three families across the globe showing that there is life after this terrible diagnosis. And that life is more joyful and hopeful than you might expect.
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Daniel DeFabioDirectorhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm1401927/
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Jan Broberg CarterComposerhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm3981875/?ref_=rvi_nm
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Mary McDonnellNarratorDances with Wolves, Passion Fish, Battlestar Galactica, Major Crimes
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Adam BelanoffNarration SupervisorThe Closer, Major Crimes, Murphy Brown, Wings
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Medical, Science, Health, genetics, Rare Disorders
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Runtime:5 minutes
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Completion Date:February 27, 2015
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Production Budget:3,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:Australia, United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Cinema Touching Disability Film FestivalAustin, TX
November 7, 2015
none
Best Documentary -
Ballston Spa Film FestivalBallston Spa, NY
August 7, 2015
US festival premeire
none -
Culver City Film FestivalCulver City
United States
December 6, 2015 -
Sanford IFFSandford Maine
United States
May 26, 2016 -
Disorder: The Rare Disease Film FestivalBoston
October 2, 2017
DeFabio spends most of his work life making videos and TV commercialss for live performances by reality TV personalities such as the Cake Boss, Theresa Caputo, and Dinosaur Train Live. His motion graphics work has been seen on TNT's The Closer and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was the co-writer and co-producer of the first ever animated web series. In 2008 he founded the Ballston Spa Film Festival. He has written for Geek Magazine, Boing Boing, FanboyPlanet.com, The Mighty.com.
As the father of a boy with Menkes Disease, this is Daniel's most personal and important film. His only previous documentary covered the healing spas in Ballston Spa, NY in 1804