From Within, Without

A film about Homeopathy; a mysterious and controversial medical system. The film follows people going through homeopathic treatment for physical, mental and emotional conditions including an explanation of homeopathy– its philosophy, science, controversy, and rich history– and a portrait of the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.

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In Haiti, Ricot lives in a “tent city”. In another part of town a residential school for the handicapped collapsed after the earthquake. The surviving children and staff live in temporary shelters. No one is receiving proper medical care. In Cuba, people get sick from an infectious disease every hurricane season. Vaccines have little success. In Queens, NY, Nancy has one dream in life—to become a mother. She and her husband Evan finally get pregnant and give birth to a healthy son, Lucas. At age two, Lucas is diagnosed with autism. In New York City, Marc develops a small infection that refuses to go away. It is MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant and potentially lethal infection. The rural town of Chimayo NM — known as the “heroin capital of the country”– has multiple generations of drug addicts with grandmothers shooting up with their grandkids.

All of these people, while seeking a cure, have found a path that leads them to homeopathy. The film focuses on the most pervasive modern disorders in the United States: autism, addiction, depression, Parkinson’s, MRSA, and more. In developing countries, we tackle epidemics, and other acute and chronic illnesses. The characters’ struggles and triumphs illustrate the concepts of this medical system — its philosophy, science, controversy, and rich and unknown history. The film also includes a portrait of the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. It challenges conventional medical notions of what is and isn’t possible.

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Laurel Chiten is an award winning independent filmmaker, making films for over 30 years. Her films include: Twisted (2006) about people with the neurological disorder, dystonia. Touched (2003) about people who think they have had contact with aliens and the Harvard psychiatrist who believed them. The Jew in the Lotus (1999), about a group of rabbis that met with the Dalai Lama, and Twitch and Shout (1994) about people living with Tourette Syndrome, nominated for a national Emmy. Ms. Chiten’s is known for giving audiences an intimate experience into the worlds of those who are marginalized, using sensitivity and humor.

She is a two- time recipient of Independent Television Service (ITVS) funding. Her films have screened at film festivals around the world, and been broadcast on PBS’s national series Independent Lens, and POV. Chiten was an artist in resident at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation. She received a residency scholarship at Yaddo and the MacDowell Artist Colony. Laurel also was an editing consultant for Andy Wilson’s most recent film, Under Our Skin, about Lyme Disease short listed for a 2010 Oscar.

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