The magic of LEAVE THEM LAUGHING is not only in the story itself but in the way it is told. Living with ALS is often times a topic mainstream media hesitate to touch – it’s too depressing is the common reply. Usually that statement is true, unless you find those with a spirit to outshine their situation.

This is the case with Carla Zilbersmith, who is documented in LEAVE THEM LAUGHING as she lives with the final stages of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS Ontario is proud to be a sponsor of this film at the Hot Docs Film Festival.

This disease, as you know, progressively takes your body from you, usually piece by piece, leaving your mind aware and functioning.

Carla’s mind is as ever sharp and on display in a pre-mortem that ends up making you laugh repeatedly and harder than you would cry. This film is an inspirational message about one woman’s battle with ALS and how she will not let it conquer her spirit.

I see this often in my work with ALS Ontario, but never has it been displayed in such a humorous story, yet never diminishing the devastating effects of the disease.

I was at both screenings of the film in the Toronto Hot Docs festival, offering brochures to audience members who likely have never seen the first-hand effects of this illness. But audience members displayed the effects of this inspirational documentary – they were thrilled with the film, moved, touched and motivated. Many spoke to me after the film and you could see how the movie stirred them – I was thrilled with the immediate response.

One audience member has been motivated to host a private screening of the film, incorporating a fundraising portion into the event, in the near future. This is an important way to spread awareness and raise funds for the cause and encourage other associations, who may not be able to donate directly to the film, to follow a similar concept.

I had to thank the director personally as his story in LEAVE THEM LAUGHING is just what the general public needs. It’s what ALS, to improve its awareness, needs.

However, the film is not finished due to lack of funding (one audience member remarked how much she loved it, but sadly could not hear all the jokes due to poor sound quality) and it needs to be at the fully developed and professional stage it, and Carla, deserves.

Please help this film become as stellar as it can be. This film deserves it. Those living with ALS, and all touched by its far-reaching fingers, need it.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Dunmore,
ALS Ontario

Exciting news:  the trailer of Leave Them Laughing is now done and it’s pretty awesome. Please check it out and let us know what you think. Also, if you can help spread the word about this important film that would be great. Go ahead and twitter, link us to facebook, my space or any other social networking site you can think of. 

As you probably know by now, Carla Zilbersmith, the hero of Leave Them Laughing, is gravely ill with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). It was 70 years ago this summer that Lou Gehrig gave his famous farewell speech and people are still today dying from this disease in the same horrible way as they did then. The more people that have the opportunity to see this film, get introduced to Carla, and get a real feel for what ALS is and does, the sooner it will bring us incrementally closer to a cure. Awareness leads to support and participation and hence is an important first step in the search for ways to eliminate ALS once and for all, or, at the very least, find some forms of treatment which are currently unavailable. This makes your support of this project even more meaningful.

But beyond the inexorable progress of the disease is the inescapable truth that all of us, sooner or later, will have to confront our own individual demise. No one could serve as a more inspiring forerunner along that path than Carla Zilbersmith, who faces her own extinction with wit, wisdom, courage, music and love.