Sequencing Hope

New documentary features FDA-approved gene therapy, ‘world’s most expensive drug” for rare disease.

SEQUENCING HOPE is a compelling new documentary featuring an intimate portrait of the first child in the United States to undergo gene therapy in Minnesota for a rare disease.

The film’s release is timely, coinciding with the recent FDA approval of an experimental gene therapy treatment on March 18, 2024, a first-of-its-kind groundbreaking endeavor in the United States.  Maribeth Romslo (“Raise Your Voice”) and Lindsey Seavert (“Love Them First”) delve into the deeply fragile world of families grappling with a rare disease, examining the high stakes of altering genes as they explore how far a family will go to save their child’s life.

WHO:

The Hamlett family, of Winfield, Alabama, begins a journey of unknowns that uproots them from their close knit town in Northwest Alabama and transports them to a whirlwind of cutting-edge medical advancements underway in Minnesota.

SEQUENCING HOPE goes beyond science to witness the profound impact of groundbreaking medical history on the life of a toddler, 4-year-old Celia Grace Hamlett, who became the first patient in the United States to undergo this experimental gene therapy at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital in 2021. Romslo and Seavert gained up-close access to this breakthrough during the pandemic at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital and connected to the film’s journey as parents themselves who have faced medical hardships in their own families.

“The intimate interactions with the family at the center of the film show us this film is more than a medical narrative, but moreover, it’s really a love story between a parent and child. We deeply understand how far a parent would go to save their child’s life, and that love is a driving force in the film from beginning to end,” said Romslo and Seavert.

The film recently held its world premiere at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and is now pursuing private screenings worldwide.

BIOS:

MARIBETH ROMSLO
Maribeth Romslo is a director, cinematographer, and producer who believes that well-told stories have the power to change the world. Her award-winning films have played at festivals across the globe. Her conceptual dance film (Kitchen Dance) premiered at Minneapolis Institute of Art in March 2023. Recent projects include an original documentary series (Handmade*Mostly) for Reese Witherspoon’s new media platform, Hello Sunshine, and a documentary about student free speech in America (Raise Your Voice). Maribeth’s work can be seen at maribethromslo.com.

LINDSEY SEAVERT
Lindsey Seavert is an Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker fueled by a calling to bring untold stories to light. She worked as a reporter at news stations stretching from Northern Minnesota, Nevada, and Ohio before coming home to the Twin Cities and working as a reporter at WCCO-TV and KARE-11 TV. In 2020, Lindsey started her own production company, Seavert Studios, following the release of her first award-winning documentary, Love Them First. Her work focuses on documentary film and purpose-driven storytelling for companies and organizations. Find her work at www.seavertstudios.com.

DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT
As a filmmaking duo, our skill sets uniquely complement one another. Maribeth directs, produces, films and edits as a cinematographer with high-end productions and noteworthy clients. Lindsey is a longtime visual and broadcast journalist who has recently transitioned into documentary film as a director, producer and writer. Together, we value focusing on stories of humanity and finding truth. We both believe in the art of listening. We share a love of information and research, seeking out solid and compelling sources. We let our curiosities and instincts lead the way. We deeply connect with our subjects on a personal level, allowing them to be authentic and vulnerable, which elicits the emotions needed to understand what’s at stake.

The visual look and feel of Sequencing Hope is intimate, unobtrusive, observational, raw and emotional. We cannot see the microscopic genetics inside Celia Grace, but we can see the world through her eyes. We can feel the fear at her hospital bedside. With crisp audio, we hear both her cries and her giggles. We embrace a cinema-verite style, but also weave in sit-down interviews with our subjects. In the documentary, we will utilize animation to help the viewer understand the complex science behind this specific type of gene therapy. While the story hinges on science, our high-end production and evocative imagery focuses on the people and humanity benefitting from this historic breakthrough.

Sequencing Hope can impact widespread audiences across demographics, as the emerging science could save your life or the life of someone you love. Individually, while these diseases are rare, collectively they create widespread impacts in both healthcare and society. An estimated 30 million people in the US live with a rare disease, that’s about 1 in 10 Americans, and half of them are children. We all likely have a personal tie to a life-threatening disease, a diagnosis that someday could be helped by advances in gene therapy.