Believing is Seeing

With the help of Dr Robert Bartholomew, we explore the mysterious phenomenon of psychogenic illness to discover - can social media make us sick?

We need your support to tell this story on Loading Docs’ award-winning platform.

THE FILM

New technologies often attract health worries - bicycles, telephony and television all caused panic at one time. More recently there’s been 5G worriers and tin foil hat wearers fending off electro-magnetic waves at parliament. Dr Bartholomew argues this technological anxiety is a stress response called ‘Psychogenic Illness’ and chances are you’ve suffered it and maybe even spread it!

Over the last few years, we’ve all been under increasing amounts of stress, and this, combined with expanding access to digital technology, has the potential for some serious health issues. There’s never been a more relevant time to understand just what psychogenic illness is, how common it is and what we can do about it. 

This is an issue we really care about and we’ve found some experts, researchers and physicians that share our passion. We will use a mixture of interviews, re-enactments and animation to bring the twists and turns of this fascinating subject to life.

This enlightening story will leave you entertained, amused and most importantly - informed.

Join us by donating to this compelling short documentary.

THE TEAM

Sophie Black is a director who is passionate about telling meaningful stories with imagination, empathy and humour. Nikhil Madhan is a brilliant producer with a background in commercials and film distribution. 

THE TARGET

As part of the Loading Docs initiative, we need to raise at least $3,500 through Boosted. These funds will go directly to paying our amazing and dedicated crew, hiring equipment, producing music by a talented emerging Aotearoa artist, creating graphics and securing rights to archive footage. 

Once we reach our minimum target, it will unlock funding from Loading Docs. But this is an all or nothing campaign. If we don’t reach our target, we get nothing! That’s why we need your help. Every little bit of support counts!  

Loading Docs is an award-winning short documentary initiative to develop New Zealand filmmaking talent. Loading Docs is funded by NZ On Air with support from NZFC and Te Māngai Pāho.

Thank you for your support.

Soph & Nikhil

THE FILMMAKERS

Sophie Black – Director

Soph has worked in the film industry in the UK and at home here in NZ on a mixture of commercials, short films, music videos and documentaries. She is the creator and director of the short documentary Pig Politics.

Nikhil Madhan – Producer 

Nikhil has worked in the film industry in Melbourne and Shanghai, returning home in 2017. Since then, he’s worked with some of New Zealand’s finest on commercial and creative projects of all shapes and sizes.