Ep 159 Glutened – The Short Film

A Conversation with Producer Hayley Repton

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

This week I’m thrilled to be speaking with Hayley Repton, producer of the short film – “Glutened”. The film is a fast-paced look at a young woman’s rollercoaster journey after diagnosis; how her life changes and how she comes to terms with the many aspects of her new lifestyle.  Hayley let us in on some behind the scenes information, along with some of the rational for the many threads she pulls together to weave the story.  I admit to Hayley that I cried at the end of the film, and when I’ve re-watched it, my emotions are still so close to the surface.  This is an important film to watch, both for the diagnosed and those around them.  Hayley has crafted a story that pulls the viewer in and imparts an incredible amount of true-life information in 8 minutes.  Thank you, Hayley for this valuable contribution to our community.

You can watch the film “Glutened” on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/486284734

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

We forget.  Maybe we try to forget the first few months of our diagnosis that required a gluten free diet.  Maybe it became a blur for us as we progressed through our knowledge of the diet and lifestyle.  Maybe we had other family members that required the diet as well and our focus shifted to them.  Whatever the reason, the short film “Glutened” brings everything flooding back. 

I often assist people when they are first diagnosed.  This started with my involvement in the Canadian Celiac Association and became more pronounced when I opened my gluten free bakery.  I was the go-to place for information and support when someone first received their diagnosis.  It became a matter of course for me to ask the right questions and direct individuals in label reading, how to handle social situations and towards helpful resources.

How soon we forget.  This past year, any guidance I’ve given has been online, omitting the personal touch.  Most of us have cocooned in some form or another for almost twelve months now.  This is a great strategy to eat gluten free, few restaurant visits, curated food delivery, and minimal if any social events.  We could cook and bake for ourselves as most of us had more time on our hands.  We felt relatively safe in our small gluten free bubbles.

Watching the film brought back that tentative sense of control.  Being home gives us control, but remembering when we were all expected to interact constantly with the rest of the world can make us anxious all over again.  Maybe, had I not been in such control for a year now, I wouldn’t have taken the film so personally.  On the other hand, I think I needed a jolt, a jolt to my memory of how the diet effects all aspects of our lives, not just our trips to the grocery and then the refrigerator.  This film is different from the many (many) videos we consume daily about shopping, preparing and eating gluten free.  This film is a journey; one most of us have taken and one many of us are happy to file deep in our brains and not reference often.  That’s what makes this film important.  The ability of a film maker to stir emotion is powerful and rare.  Likely, your friends or family will not feel the same way about watching the film, but it’s still valuable for you to share it. 

Hayley has done her job, she’s stirred the emotions of many people and she should be very proud of her work.  She told me she’d like to produce more content about the celiac/gluten free journey and I, for one am excited and in total support.  Hayley, show me more, I’m open to another good cry.