Written by Maria Manuella Pache de Athayde
85/100
“The weaker I get the louder I become.“
Utterly broken! This documentary resonated with me deeply. I was reminded of my own mother and her struggle within the health care system. Ady’ Barkan’s resilience and activism as he battles ASL is nothing short of remarkable. His story transverses both the personal and political.
We get an inside journey of his tour across swing districts of the United States. During the 2018 midterm elections, his goal is to try and fix the broken American health care system. Throughout this journey we are introduced to Ady’s remarkable wife, Rachel, and their son, Carl, as well as a plethora of remarkable activists. The most notable of which are Liz Jaff and Ana Maria Archila. Who help organize and participate in a series of actions with Ady and his supporters.
It is very hard to put into words all the emotions I felt watching this documentary. I was just so moved that Ady was able to give it his all despite the numerous difficulties he’s faced. The moments of levity and the jokes Ady cracks make an otherwise difficult journey easier to watch. I cannot do this documentary justice with my review. I highly recommend that anyone who watches this documentary does so with a box of tissues in hand.
If you want to learn more about Ady and Liz’s political action committee and guaranteeing access to universal healthcare you can click here.
Recommended
Not Going Quietly is currently playing at the SXSW 2021 Film Festival.
You can follow Maria Manuella Pache de Athayde on Letterboxd, Twitter, or Instagram and view more of what she’s up to here.
