Living with IPF: An anthology of stories based on real lived experience will premiere on Thursday 11th July at the MAC in Birmingham.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a life-limiting disease which causes scarring on the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. It is not known what causes IPF, but normally affects people around 70-75 years old.
People with IPF shared their stories, enabling us to craft a film weaving their experiences together into compelling fictional narratives, brought to life by actors. We hope that the film will act as a useful resource for others with experience of IPF as well as those less familiar with the disease.
Now, a new film is being launched to shine a light on the experiences of people impacted by this rare disease. The film has been developed by HeARTh Centre writers created from research conducted by the University of Birmingham with people who have had direct experience with IPF, and Horizon Collective.
Dr Rachel Adams, Research Fellow at the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham, said: “This film illustrates life with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and is the result of collaboration between the University of Birmingham, patient groups and the HeARTh Centre. People with IPF shared their stories, enabling us to craft a film weaving their experiences together into compelling fictional narratives, brought to life by actors. We hope that the film will act as a useful resource for others with experience of IPF as well as those less familiar with the disease."
One of the participants talks about their diagnosis of IPF in the film. They say: “How I used to love to dance. Baljeet and I were the life and soul of the Sikh Community Centre, but then I got my diagnosis. Twelve doctors came in to tell me at the hospital. It still didn’t really sink in until we went home and Googled it. We’d never even heard of idiopathic pulmonary disorder.”
People are welcome to attend the film launch in person or via Zoom, the details of which can be found on the MAC website. For further information about the IPF project and resources, please visit the University of Birmingham website.
Research Fellow
Dr Rachel Adams is a research fellow at the University of Birmingham. Her research includes qualitative sub-studies running alongside respiratory trials and public health ethnographic research.
