ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
A pain-free life sounds great, right? Filmed over 17 years, we observe Gabby’s evolving relationship with her rare disorder as she dreams of escaping her parents’ watchful eyes.

SYNOPSIS
An intimate coming-of-age documentary filmed over 17 years about a girl with a rare disorder where she doesn’t feel pain—the triumphs, the tragedies, and how her disability affects her relationships with family, friends and even her relationship with the filmmaker. Now Gabby is a teenager who has never spent a night away from home and dreams of escaping her parents’ watchful eyes. If this story sounds familiar, it’s because the first part of Gabby’s life, from when she was born to age 4, was previously documented in my documentary A Life Without Pain that premiered at SXSW in 2005 and was ultimately broadcast on the Sundance Channel and on dozens of networks internationally and was even featured on Oprah.

The interest in Gabby’s life has never waned, with people constantly asking me “whatever happened to that girl who can’t feel pain.” Over the years, I continued to follow Gabby, and I made some trailers, samples, attempted some rough cuts, but none felt right. Now that Gabby has grown up, the time seems right. I'm still ashamed by Gabby's tearful confession to me a few years ago when she told me that she thought I was only filming her because of her disability. I was so embarrassed, but enough time has passed now that I feel I can include it in the film and open up that topic for reflection and discussion. As part of this film, we ask the question: Who gets to tell whose story? Gabby’s ability to express herself as an adult in her own voice and to talk about her own experiences, desires and dreams makes this the right time to make this film.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Melody Gilbert
PRODUCER Melody Gilbert, Igor Myakotin

WEBSITE alifewithoutpain.com