The Creative Healer
An Interview with Filmmaker Deborah Fryer
In recognition of her efforts in fostering understanding about Parkinson’s Disease, Deborah Fryer was awarded Accolade’s Humanitarian Award for her film, Shaken: Journey Into the Mind of a Parkinson’s Patient. Annually, this award is given to a filmmaker who makes a significant contribution to social change or a humanitarian effort. Shaken has also received numerous international awards.
Deborah has spread awareness about Parkinson’s more than anyone that I know. Her film Shaken compassionately explores human suffering and the courage of a man living with young onset Parkinson’s.
The following is my email interview of Deborah:
Kate: Why are you so committed to the Parkinson’s cause (vs. cancer, heart disease, etc.)?
Deborah: Shaken is my first independent film. I met someone my age with Parkinson’s and wanted to learn more about it, so I started researching it on the web. The more I learned, the more I realized that this is a story that has to be told. No one is talking about it the way they talk about cancer or heart disease, but it seems like about one in five of my friends has a family member with Parkinson’s.
Kate: What has been your most satisfying achievement to date?
Deborah: It means so much to me when I get feedback from people with Parkinson’s who thank me for telling their story and thank me for giving them hope. These are some of the comments I have recently received from people with Parkinson’s.
Kate: Where does your strong drive to achieve come from?
Deborah: I don’t know. A palm reader once told me that I had a very old soul from the island of Lemuria, and that my karma was to make the world a better place. She told me that I can’t stand it when there is violence, injustice, pain or suffering in the world, and that my life purpose is to tell stories that don’t usually get told for the purpose of healing the suffering that goes on in the world. I had never met this woman in my life, and she knew nothing about me, so how she pegged me so accurately, I have no idea, but she was right.
Kate: How are you able to maintain objectivity and balance in your professional and personal life?
Deborah: I don’t know that I maintain either. I work hard. I get on my yoga mat every day. I meditate and spend time with my boyfriend and my animals daily. I am still working on working less, sleeping more, and building free time into every day. As an independent filmmaker, it is hard to find that balance, and I am still very much in the searching stage.
Kate: Has any particular life experience significantly contributed to your strong sense of confidence?
Deborah: It’s all an illusion. I have good days and bad days just like anyone else. I cry when I need to. I hug my dog and talk to her when I am feeling like the biggest loser on the planet. I write in my journal. I reach out to friends. I go for a hike by myself in the woods.
I try to take the many mistakes I make as an opportunity to learn. I know I reach and aim high, and I sometimes miss the mark. It can be humiliating, disappointing or devastating. And I know that when I hit bottom, that the laws of physics and the universe say that nothing is permanent, so I know that I will be back on top of the wave before long.
And I also know that if something doesn’t work, then I can always try something else. I think my yoga practice has helped me be less attached to the outcome and more interested in the process.
Kate: If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?
Deborah: I would go to medical school. I am so interested in science, health, healing and the intersection of those three things. I think so much of health and healing has to do with our minds and the stories we tell ourselves, and yet the miracles of modern medicine and pharmaceuticals are mysterious and fascinating to me. I would want to learn what they teach in American medical schools, and would also want to study in India and China to understand more about the eastern beliefs in illness and well-being.
Further information about Deborah and her film Shaken, can be found her website Lila Films at: www.lilafilms.com.
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