COMPLICATED
COMPLICATED
What They don’t know can hurt you
COMPLICATED reveals the untold stories of children suffering from complex, invisible illness, marginalized by a medical system that fails to provide the care they desperately need. Shuffled between specialists, misdiagnosed, and often labeled with psychological disorders, these young patients fight for validation, respect and normalcy. The film exposes a dark side of pediatric medicine, where parents pushing for answers risk being accused of medically harming their children and even losing custody.
Filmed over seven years, this unflinching documentary explores the “complicated” journeys of young people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a little-known connective tissue disorder that is far more common than most realize. Ranging from mild to life-threatening, EDS is often invisible, and the lack of research and awareness leads to medical gaslighting, where treatments are withheld, insurance is denied, and families are torn apart.
In a healthcare system under intense scrutiny, COMPLICATED pulls back the curtain on a hidden world of suffering and resilience. It highlights courageous young people fighting for their lives, mothers risking everything to protect them, and a system that too often turns a blind eye. Amid this struggle, a spark of hope emerges as patients become their own advocates, researching potential tests and treatments that could change their lives—and possibly the future of medicine.
(2025, 85. min)
“A powerful exposé of children with complex illnesses and the systems that fail them. With investigative depth and personal storytelling, Andrew Abrahams delivers a heartbreaking wake-up call and a rallying cry for change.”
Producer/Director/DP
Andrew Abrahams
Co-Producer
Donna Sullivan
Editor
Alex Albers
Executive Producers
Tracy Finnegan
Charlotte Deering McCormick
Official Selection
Slamdance Film Festival
Host a Screening
Host a Screening
By partnering with community organizations and medical groups to host screenings, COMPLICATED can spark crucial conversations, drive change in medicine, and bring hope to those who are often overlooked or stigmatized. Please fill out the form below so we can better advise or assist you in your efforts.
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