The April 16 and 17 “Parliament Double Feature” brings together
Academy Award Winner ’20 Days in Mariupol’ and Award-Winning ‘UNCONDITIONAL’
UNCONDITIONAL Commercially Re-Released for World Health Awareness Month,
Capping Off Premieres at the White House, United Nations, and U.S. Congress
First-Ever Mainstream Movie on Caregivers and Mental Health and the Most Widely
Distributed Feature Documentary of the Year
NEW YORK, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Commemorating World Health Month, the film UNCONDITIONAL will celebrate its international premiere before the European Parliament in Brussels on April 16. With an unprecedented series of premieres at the White House, the United Nations, and the U.S. Capitol, UNCONDITIONAL is a genre-defining story of three families and their resilient journey of caregiving and mental strength.
Bringing together topics that affect one billion people globally, the feature film profiles three families over seven years. Caregiving, mental health, and military family experiences shine through in this documentary, which provides a glass-half-full perspective on subjects often discussed in extremes.
AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (APRIL 16, 2024)
Hosted by Member of Parliament Jan Zahradil and emceed by POLITICO’s Sarah Wheaton, the International Premiere will feature remarks from Ian Lesser (Vice President, German Marshall Fund of the United States); Frédéric Destrebecq (Executive Director, European Brain Council); Michael Callender (President, The American Club of Brussels); and Daphné Lamirel (Public Involvement Officer, Alzheimer Europe). UNCONDITIONAL will serve as the lead-in to the European Parliament’s exclusive screening of 2024 Academy Award winner ’20 Days in Mariupol.’
As many as 52 million Europeans provide unpaid, informal care to family members.1 In the U.S., some 100 million people face caregiving and mental health challenges annually, while globally, as many as one billion share this experience. Yet, these issues are barely included in culture and conversation.
During the screening event, speakers will highlight how the history of caregiving underpins the transatlantic relationship. Prepared remarks will address how, in the 20th century, U.S. military conflicts were primarily local, with care provided nearer to the battlefield by families and communities. With WWI and WWII, the paradigm shifted as U.S. soldiers in Europe received a greater proportion of their rehabilitation and long-term care abroad from European caregivers, transforming the caregiving economy.
AT THE WHITE HOUSE (MAY 10, 2023)
The cast and crew joined First Lady Jill Biden and military caregivers for a screening in honor of the film on May 10, 2023. The First Lady called the film “beautiful” and thanked Director Richard Lui for “shining a light on families … whose stories you tell so movingly.” In his remarks, Lui told attendees: “You just got invited to the most exclusive movie theater in the world. Counting 42 seats in total, you will join Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Ava DuVernay, and Oprah Winfrey, who have had their films screened in this very same room – the White House Family Theater.”
AT THE U.S. CONGRESS (JULY 27, 2023)
“An Exclusive Evening with Congress, Caregivers, and Correspondents” gathered journalists, Members of Congress, and the caregiving community for a first-of-its-kind event. The screening was hosted by Juju Chang of ABC News and Vicky Nguyen of NBC News and featured remarks from Congressional Honorary Co-Chairs Rep. Judy Chu, Sen. John Boozman, journalists Lisa Ling and David Ono. Singer Jay Allen of NBC’s ‘The Voice’ performed “Break from Broken,” the film’s original song.
AT THE UNITED NATIONS (DECEMBER 13, 2023)
Actress, comedian, and caregiver Yvette Nicole Brown hosted a special screening event at the United Nations for the 75th Anniversary of Human Rights Day. Craig Melvin, Co-Host of NBC’s “TODAY,” and Joanne Pike, DrPH, Alzheimer’s Association CEO & President, delivered special remarks alongside representatives from Chile and Spain at the sold-out event.
FILM’S AFTERMATH: GROUNDBREAKING BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION
Following UNCONDITIONAL’s release, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signed on to support PRISCA’s films on caregiving. The film brought together close to two dozen Members of Congress who called mental health and caregiving “not Red or Blue issues, but American issues.” Bipartisan support led to the passage of the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act (named in honor of one of the film’s subjects), which addresses healthcare needs for military women. Soon after, the landmark bipartisan PACT Act passed – helping millions of veteran families access healthcare they couldn’t before.
Screenings with caregiver training programs were held in communities in 14 states with NGO/CBO partners, reinforced by the tour of leading democratic institutions globally. The First Lady called UNCONDITIONAL a reason to recognize that caregivers don’t “carry the weight of the world alone.”
PRODUCTION DECISIONS COUNT
The film shows a journey for equity for the 100 million people who are caregiving or battling with emotional health. They feel unseen, and this reality drove the film’s production decisions.
- A push for linear and nonlinear platforms, including broadcast, cable, theatrical, and streaming releases saw the film become the most widely distributed documentary of 2023.
- Over 94% of donations went to contractors and vendors with underrepresented backgrounds.
- 80% of the production team are caregivers, enriching the film’s authentic perspectives.
- Impact partners were included from the start through the go-to-market phase: NGOs and CBOs like the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, BrightFocus, and CABHI, as well as foundations from Eisai, EMD Serono, Novartis, and others.
- Pro Bono and In-Kind services and product providers represented half of the $1.5 million budget.
UNCONDITIONAL is produced by PRISCA, with Presenting Partners Alzheimer’s Association, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation; and Title Sponsors AARP and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.
For more information, visit www.unconditionalmovie.com or download the Press Kit and Social Media Kit.
MEDIA CONTACT: [email protected]
1 https://feps-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FEPS-FES_Care-Strategy-Policy-Study-PP.pdf
SOURCE Prisca
