Private Project

The Cost of Caring

The Cost of Caring is a documentary about the high incidence of veterinarian suicide rates in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Veterinary Medical Association published a joint study in 2019 indicating that veterinarians were more likely to die by suicide as compared to the general U.S. population. Men were 2.1 times more likely and for women, it was worse at 3.5 times. The researchers cited multiple stressors that may play a role: the daily demands at work which include euthanizing pets, burnout, compassion fatigue, poor work-life balance, and being cyber bullied and vilified by pet owners for not meeting their expectations. This film delves into those issues and exposes this crisis in the pet med industry today.

  • Marie Barnas
    Director
  • Marie Barnas
    Writer
  • Frank Barnas
    Writer
  • Marie Barnas
    Producer
  • Frank Barnas
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    60 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 14, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    150,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 35mm, 4k
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Marie Barnas

Marie Barnas is an award winning filmmaker focusing on documentary and short film projects. She teaches courses in video and film production and is the Chair of the Department of Media Arts at Middle Tennessee State University. Her films have been recognized by Telly, Cindy, and Worldfest Houston and have been exhibited worldwide.

In 2014-15 she was awarded fellowships by The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The International Radio and Television Society, and The National Association of Television Producers and Executives. She was awarded a second IRTS fellowship in 2018, and in 2022 she was chosen as a Japan Studies Institute Fellow by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Nashville/Midsouth Chapter, The Broadcast Education Association, and The Telly Council.

In 2021-22 she raised over $150,000 through grants, private donations, and crowdfunding for her latest film The Cost of Caring, her first feature film production.

In her spare time she enjoys spoiling her three fur babies, Heidi Roo, Roxy Roo, and Boris Boo. When she isn’t traveling to distant lands, she also co-produces the award winning podcast Voca Vacay with her husband and colleague Frank Barnas. She is a native of South Charleston, West Virginia and worked in the film industry in Atlanta, GA from 2004-2011.

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Director Statement

My approach to filmmaking centers on a reflexive framework from which I try to initiate an experience between myself and the film, then the film and the world. I attempt to embed the tools of visual storytelling within my projects through discussing, interacting, and doing to create active audience engagement and interpretation.