LEARNING TO SWALLOW

Mischievous and charismatic Patsy was an artistic force on the Chicago scene in the late 90s. She charmed her way into great jobs. She surrounded herself with interesting people. And all the while, she took hundreds of self-portraits chronicling her manically paced lifestyle. The photos captured her changing styles, outrageous looks and dramatic shifts in mood. But none of them foreshadowed what would happen next.

In a terrifying bipolar episode, Patsy attempted suicide, swallowing enough drain cleaner to destroy her digestive system. LEARNING TO SWALLOW follows Patsy over four years of recovery as she attempts to rebuild herself--both inside and out.

After a recovery stint in a nursing home, Patsy is hopeful that reconstructive surgery will allow her to eat and drink again. However, the surgery on her digestion system is unsuccessful and her hope for a normal life begins to wane.

To deal with the pain, she takes OxyContin, overdoses, and is committed to a rehab center to overcome her addiction as well as her grief.

This turning point forces her to eventually let go of her denial and begin a transformative journey of emotional growth that allows her to return to Chicago and start over again. In the process, the artist inside reemerges. Patsy's photographs no longer focus on her surface, but go deeper to reveal the often difficult truths about her illness and physical disabilities.

Amy Dotson

Danielle Beverly regularly directs and produces for PBS and cable, co-producing Emmy-winning DANCE FROM THE HEART, about The Joffrey Ballet and disability. Through 2011, Beverly will serve as Field Producer for PROJECT REBIRTH, a longitudinal documentary that follows the healing process of ten people markedly affected by 9/11, as well as the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, in 35mm time-lapse film. PROJECT REBIRTH is a finalist for the WTC Memorial Museum. Beverly holds a BA in public health and an MFA in Film/Video. LEARNING TO SWALLOW is her first feature.

Print Source:
Danielle Beverly, Petunia Productions
204 E. 7th Street, #17
New York, NY 10009
Tel: 2124770820
Email: dannabev@yahoo.com

Wednesday 6/15 at 4:30 p.m.
Friday 6/17 at 7:30 p.m.

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