Reviews and Events

Join us on Tuesday Feb 8th at 4:00 PM PT/ 7:00 PM ET for a very special free virtual Q&A moderated by Rainn Wilson (The Office)
all about the new documentary SALT IN MY SOUL.

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 3, Mallory Smith turned to a secret diary to record her inner thoughts . Using that treasure trove of writing, and hours of audio and video, the film is a classic coming-of-age story with a twist, and a rare look into the mind of a young woman trying to live fully while dying.

This will be an exciting conversation about how SALT IN MY SOUL got made, what friends and family went through witnessing this journey, and how Mallory's private journals led to a best-selling book and acclaimed documentary film. We'll also hear from experts and leaders about how their expertise intersected with Mallory's story in vital ways and the future of phages as well as the need for more research and resources into compassionate use.

Featuring:
Will Battersby (Director)
Diane Shader Smith (Mallory's mom)
Micah Smith (Mallory's brother)
Maya Humes (Mallory's friend)
Gunnar Esiason (Cystic Fibrosis and rare disease patient leader)
Dr. Ben Chan(Scientific Director of Yale Phage Center)
Steffanie Strathdee, PhD (Co-Director of IPATH & author, The Perfect Predator)

ABOUT THIS EVENT
Tuesday, February 8, 2022

-7:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET
-4:00 PM- 5:00 PM PT

REGISTER TO ATTEND AT:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salt-in-my-soul-virtual-panel-hosted-by-rainn-wilson-tickets-259568896557?fbclid=IwAR2S23ZYtjcD0Itdjsy9bLz3vg1RRPU6U1jswvRdpdQ_R_stuiiKp4I9SUQ

SPONSORED BY: Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute
RENT THE FILM BEFOREHAND on digital platforms -

More info here: https://saltinmysouldoc.com/#watch

100% of the profits from the film are being donated to research into antimicrobial resistance (superbugs) and phage therapy.

Further information about the film also follows:

GIANT PICTURES PRESENTS
A 3 Arts Entertainment and Reno Productions film

Photo Dec 03_ 4 28 47 PM.jpg

SALT IN MY SOUL

A Feature Documentary Film by Will Battersby
Run time: 96 Minutes (USA- Feature Documentary)

SALT IN MY SOUL is currently available worldwide on all major VOD Platforms.

VOD Platforms in key territories:

US- Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft/Xbox, Vudu
Canada- Apple TV/ITunes, Microsoft/Xbox
UK- Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft/Xbox
Ireland- Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play

Cable Platforms:

US- InDemand TVOD (Comcast, Spectrum, Cox), DirectTV/AT&T and more

Based on the bestselling posthumously published memoir of the same name, SALT IN MY SOUL is a documentary and classic coming of age story about a young woman figuring out how to live while dying. Mallory Smith was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of three. In her twenty five-year battle with the deadly disease, she carved out a life that most of us don’t come close to. Using Mallory’s posthumously published 2500-page secret diaries, hundreds of hours of newly discovered footage, and audio recordings, the film offers Mallory as the narrator of her own extraordinary chronicle.

Following her realization at age nine that she would die young, Mallory secretly began to record her inner thoughts in her diary while throwing herself at life: friendships in elementary school, lovers and sports teams in high school, the little travel her disease would allow. She attended college and explored the wider world, one that was just beyond her grasp. She became a devoted environmentalist, seeing a startling and vivid metaphor for her declining health in the destruction of our world. Her father feverishly researched treatment options, desperate that the death sentence be commuted. Her mother obsessively helped her to live, cooking to maintain her weight and create community, raising money for research, and teaching her to prioritize relationships over all else. Mallory fought. And she wrote; about her fears, her loves, her pain, her depression, her hopes, and gave a voice to the many millions who struggle with invisible or visible illness. In Mallory’s final days, her father uncovered a long-forgotten treatment that is now changing the world of medicine. Heartbreakingly, it came too late to save his daughter.

Mallory was a young woman who lived with illness her whole life, who suffered immeasurably but who always found the will to live happy. Her story is a testament to enduring parental love and determination and the healing power of memoir as medicine, inspiring all of us to live life as fully as possible in the face of the challenges we all face.

Will Battersby (Filmmaker) has been producing documentaries and features for 15 years. His first documentary as producer, Trumbo, won the National Board of Review Freedom of Speech award. The film, about blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

SALT IN MY SOUL is Will’s second documentary as director. The first, The Canal, will be released by Showtime which is currently adapting it into a limited series. Will is producing alongside Patricia Arquette, who will also direct. The Canal is the first feature documentary about the environmental tragedy in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls and the extraordinary group of working-class women who fought to save their families.

Will’s narrative feature credits include: SXSW favorite The Spine of Night, a hand-drawn animated fantasy film that RLJE released in October 2021, which stars Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless and Patton Oswalt; Stephen King’s A Good Marriage starring Joan Allen; They Remain starring Will Jackson Harper, and The Bleeding House, the first feature from Emmy Award-winning writer/director Philip Gelatt (Love, Death & Robots). Will served as Head of Development on Alex Gibney’s Oscar-nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Stephen Soderbergh’s Bubble.

Follow us at @SaltInMySoulDoc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

https://twitter.com/SaltInMySoulDoc
http://www.facebook.com/SaltInMySoulDoc
http://www.instagram.com/SaltInMySoulDoc

ABOUT THE BOOK

SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life, by Mallory Smith, is a powerful, intimate, and inspiring portrait of a brave young woman living with chronic illness. Mallory understood that patient voices need to be amplified in order to improve healthcare, that the i ntersection of human behavior and nature is critical to environmental sustainability, and that love and friendship give life meaning. As Mallory’s body deteriorated, she sharpened her mind, crystalized her thinking, and honed her writing skills. In her 2500 pages of private journal entries, she created poetry out of prosaic experiences. Beautifully written, provocative, and peppered with insights, SALT IN MY SOUL reminds us to follow Mallory's mantra and "Live Happy."

For more information about the book SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life please go to: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/607965/salt-in-my-soul-by-mallory-smith/

GIANT PICTURES

Giant Pictures is a leading digital distributor that is committed to empowering filmmakers to own their distribution. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, we work directly with rights owners to distribute movies and TV shows to VOD and streaming platforms in North America and worldwide. Our content partners range from first-time filmmakers to award-winning independent producers, as well as notable studios Alamo Drafthouse Films, Abramorama Selects, Participant, Tribeca Enterprises, Utopia Distribution, and XYZ Films. A division of Giant Interactive, the award-winning digital media and technology services company, we distribute across 45+ platforms, including AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Peacock.

Learn more at: www.giant.pictures