The Quiet Epidemic Film Presentation at the U.S. Capitol

About The Event

The Quiet Epidemic Film Presentation at the U.S. Capitol
Hosted by Senator Richard Blumenthal, with a special appearance by Christopher Meloni, Actor.

“Does chronic Lyme disease exist? That’s the question that haunts ‘The Quiet Epidemic,’ [a] worthy and provocative documentary about the highly controversial syndrome. The filmmakers argue, with unflinching advocacy and some very good reporting, that chronic Lyme disease most definitely exists.” – Variety

Since the earliest days of production, the team and supporters behind The Quiet Epidemic hoped the film might one day screen on Capitol Hill, and that moment has arrived. Please join us for a free and open to the public presentation of The Quiet Epidemic on Wednesday, November 20th, at the U.S. Capitol. The presentation will be preceded by a reception and followed by a discussion and Q&A with the film’s subjects, experts and celebrity advocates.

While the event is free to attend, RSVPs via Eventbrite are required for entry. Details regarding the exact venue location within the Capitol will be sent to all registrants via Eventbrite approximately one (1) week prior to November 20th.

EVENT DETAILS

5:30 PM – Reception
6:30 PM – Introduction by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Meloni
6:40 PM – Film begins
8:30 PM – Film ends; discussion and Q&A begins
9:00 PM – Event ends

Please note that seating is first-come, first-served, and an RSVP does not guarantee a seat in the theater—we advise arriving early.

The post-screening discussion and Q&A will feature:

Christopher Meloni, Actor & Global Lyme Alliance Ambassador
Julia Bruzzese, Main Subject of The Quiet Epidemic
Monica Embers, Ph.D., Director of Vector-Borne Disease Research, Tulane University
Mary Beth Pfeiffer, Investigative Journalist & Author
Dr. Kenneth Liegner, M.D., Board Certified Internist
Ira Maurer, Esq, Attorney
Moderated by Lindsay Keys, Co-Director of The Quiet Epidemic

Please extend this invitation to anyone in your network who may want to attend what is sure to be an impactful and inspiring evening.

The Quiet Epidemic team would like to thank our generous sponsors, who have made our Capitol Hill events possible: LymeLight Foundation, Global Lyme Alliance, Sarena Snider, Project Lyme, NatCapLyme and lymeLNK. Their combined generosity made our initial meetings in April possible, as well as this special presentation of the film. This is happening due to our sponsors’ belief in the power of The Quiet Epidemic to open minds and touch hearts. Among our Capitol Hill sponsors are The Quiet Epidemic Executive Producers Phyllis & Scott Bedford—founders of LymeLight Foundation—and Sarena Sarena, each of whom generously supported the creation of the film itself, the film’s festival tour and release, and our team since the very beginning.

Film Synopsis: After years of living with mysterious symptoms, a young girl from Brooklyn and a Duke University scientist are diagnosed with a disease said to not exist: Chronic Lyme disease. The Quiet Epidemic follows their search for answers, which lands them in the middle of a medical controversy. What begins as a patient story evolves into an investigation into the history of Lyme disease, dating back to its discovery in 1975.

About: The Quiet Epidemic premiered at the prestigious Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto in Spring 2022, where it was voted into the Top 20 out of 200+ films. It was then featured in 20 additional festivals (Hamptons Int’l Film Festival, DOC NYC, Woodstock Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival) and won five festival awards. The Quiet Epidemic qualified for the 2022 Academy Awards, had a successful limited theatrical run in early 2023, and a grassroots screening tour in 2023-24.