The Ears of Meniere’s Documentary
February 27, 2023
Filming Begins With Tech-Evangelist Guy Kawasaki & Dr. Kevin Peng of The House Institute Foundation With Support from Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Liedtke
It is appropriate that on Rare Disease Day 2nd Chapter Productions announces the documentary film Unheard: The Ears of Meniere’s has begun production. With a mission to raise awareness and attract research funding for the debilitating vestibular disorder Meniere’s Disease, the production has filmed two if its six subjects Guy Kawasaki (host of Remarkable People podcast/Chief Evangelist of Canva) and Dr. Kevin Peng (Clinician Scientist at The House Institute Foundation & Neurotologist at PIH Health House Clinic).
“Since Meniere’s is an invisible illness very few people are aware of, patients often feel isolated and unheard,” explains 2nd Chapter Productions director-producer Janine McGoldrick, diagnosed in 2013. “Our film will give voice to the voiceless and make the invisible, visible.”
Kawasaki stated, “I wanted to participate in this documentary because I feel I have a moral obligation that can provide insight and some inspiration to others who are going through what I’m going through.”
Joining several health organizations in supporting the film is former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Liedtke. In 2018 Liedtke wore Meniere’s themed cleats in the “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign to support his wife Noelle’s journey with Meniere’s and they continue to work to advocate for awareness.
Meniere’s Disease silently robs millions of their hearing and balance along with their ability to maintain their social and professional lives. You can’t see it, and they can’t explain it. Unheard: The Ears of Meniere’s brings this mysterious syndrome into the public eye, piecing together the complicated puzzle of what is keeping people in the dark in matters of their own health. With creative and precise camera-work, it pulls the audience inside the victims’ head, simulating symptoms of the disease – violent vertigo, excruciating tinnitus and devastating hearing loss – so viewers directly experience how it physically debilitates them.
To keep the cameras rolling, the production is currently seeking sponsorship and tax-deductible donations. To learn more, go to www.earsofmenieres.com.
