Private Project

UNDIAGNOSED

UNDIAGNOSED is a feature-length documentary film that brings forward remarkable cutting-edge science and compelling human drama to shine a light on a widespread but little-known issue devastating families across the world: undiagnosed illnesses.

Told through the captivating stories of 4 different families, the film explores why the medical system is failing this population and how studying these patients will advance medicine for all of humanity. Combining genetic technology, the power of community, and unwavering parental love, these families push against the ticking clock of rapid degeneration to find answers.

UNDIAGNOSED is the culmination of 9 years of work by Dr. Katia Moritz, the director and an undiagnosed patient herself — supported by an extraordinary team that includes Oscar and Emmy winning filmmakers, world-renown scientists, and leading genetic technology companies.

  • Dr. Katia Moritz
    Director
  • Nicholas Miller
    Director
  • Geralyn Dreyfous
    Producer
    Born Into Brothels, The Day My God Died, The Square, The Invisible War, Miss Representation, Meet The Patels, Anita, In Football We Trust, The Hunting Ground, Dream Catcher, Alive Inside
  • Crystal Shearman
    Producer
  • Dr. Katia Moritz
    Producer
  • Renata Terra
    Editors
    The Beginning of Life 2: Outside, In the Name of My People, Rethink Praise, Piripkura, Amazônia Desconhecida, Who Cares?, Top Models, Um Conto de Fadas Brasileiro, A Chave da Casa, Abry, Imminente Luna
  • Guili Minkovicius
    Editors
  • Yuri Amaral
    Editors
  • Dr. Katia Moritz
    Writer
  • Nicholas Miller
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 26 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    700,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Dr. Katia Moritz, Nicholas Miller

Katia Moritz, Ph.D., ABPP is a psychologist in the States of Florida, New York and Utah, and is Board Certified in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology. She is the co-founder and Clinical Director of the NeuroBehavioral Institute and has dedicated her life to treating severe and debilitating anxiety disorders in children and adults.

In August of 2010, Dr. Moritz underwent a routine endoscopy and woke up with an unknown syndrome. After seeing doctors all over the country at various facilities, she is still undiagnosed. In her search for help she encountered a world of patients and families that were struggling with all of the same issues. The glaring need to foster awareness has inspired her to do something to initiate change. She created the feature length documentary UNDIAGNOSED based on the stories of these patients, their doctors, and the medical system that is failing to service them.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Undiagnosed- I never thought about what it meant until I became sick and stuck in the worst moment of uncertainty, waiting for results but finding no answers. As a healthcare provider with decades of experience helping people, I thought I was well prepared to navigate the medical system. But the reality is that the medical system is not prepared for people like me. Looking to create a community, I stumbled upon a hidden epidemic of millions of people without an identity, whose stories needed to be told.

Recognizing the Undiagnosed allows us to validate their struggles and the very fact that they exist. Finding ways to help them and to save their critical health information became my life’s mission. The discovery of new diseases and perhaps new treatments for known diseases hides in the mystery of their conditions, but their information is dying with them.

I embarked on a journey to document the stories of Undiagnosed families, and enlisted leading experts to create opportunities to collaborate and do things differently. We had the brightest minds in medicine helping us. The resulting 9-year project has yielded a powerful film containing intimate, compelling stories of hope and love, where families and doctors work together to impact the future of medicine.