Los Angeles, CA — Last night was an evening to remember as I covered an extraordinary event! I was live at the red carpet event and premiere of the documentary, “Not Going Quietly”.
A little background of this documentary and story is centered around Ady Barkan, a man who was diagnosed with ALS and has become a major activist for this country and the health care system. This documentary is a look into his story.
Upon arrival at the event, I saw the red carpet laid out, press lined up, and a movie poster on display. As more people arrived the crowd was filled with excitement and great energy. I was able to snag an interview with Amy Landecker, a famous actress and a friend of Ady Barkan. From the red carpet appearances, a reception was hosted on the rooftop at the Plaza La Reina Hotel. I was met with food, drinks, and a lovely live performance. As celebrities, local leaders, press, and friends chatted and mingled for about an hour, the reception ended with a few speeches. Ady himself gave a moving speech, along with Amy Decklander and Elizabeth Jaff.
Following the red carpet and reception, the exclusive night was moved to the Laemmle Royal Theater for the private premiere of the documentary, “Not Going Quietly”. Everyone at the event was excited to see and learn Ady’s journey up close.
“Not Going Quietly” was a phenomenal film. It was raw, honest, real, funny, moving, motivating, and inspirational. Ady, who was diagnosed with a terminal disease, spends the last years of his life fighting for universal health care for this country. Although his health was vastly deteriorating, his speech being on his way out, and his inability to move on his own, Ady went across the country and held rallies with his team. At these rallies, they were the voice of disability, the voice of democracy, the voice of the American people. Hoping to make a difference and convince certain politicians and government officials how important healthcare is for countless families in this country.
Ady’s strength and fire is an inspiration. Through unimaginable trauma, he kept a sense of humor (he was actually hilarious), making time for his wife, son, and newborn daughter, fighting his ALS all while making an impact in the world. He doesn’t stop fighting for what’s right. He said in the film, “I want to look at my life and be proud of what I’ve done.”
This has taught me that if he can do it, anyone can. This film taught me that we cannot be bystanders in our own democracy, country, and lives. We must fight for what we believe in. We must fight for humanity.
I am honored to have been a part of this event and witness Ady and his team make a difference. The documentary was filmed perfectly. We laughed, we cried, we cheered…. If you haven’t yet I strongly encourage the readers to take a look into Ady’s story, watch his viral videos online, do your research on universal healthcare and what you can do to make a difference.
First, you can go to BeaHeroFund.com to take your first steps into making a difference. How can we all be heros? This is a question we should ask ourselves every day.
‘Not Going Easily’ opens today, August 13 in LA at the Laemmle Town Center and in NY at the Angelika Film Center. Furthermore, this documentary will also expand to theaters in select cities across the country.
