Twenty bodies. One thread of movement. Unbound is a short dance film created by individuals living with ME/CFS and/or Long COVID, exploring the tension between constraint and expression, stillness and vitality.
Born from the personal experiences of dramatist and director Sara Nesson and founder of Unfixed Media Kimberly Warner—both artists living with chronic illness—Unbound is a collaborative dance film that reframes disability through the language of movement. The work weaves together short, self-recorded videos from participants located in their backyards, beds, chairs, and living rooms. Rather than hiding their limitations, the film leans into them—amplifying the truth of bodies that ache to move and the creative resilience that emerges when movement is redefined.
The result is a visual dialogue, a passing of the dance in which one gesture flows into the next, echoing collective struggle and shared joy. With a painterly color palette and poetic editing style, Unbound invites audiences into the lived reality of ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) and Long COVID, offering not just awareness but a reframing: illness as choreography, constraint as canvas.
World Premiere: 7/29/26 @ 6:30pm ET
why this film matters
Unbound is more than a dance film—it’s a restoration of voice, agency, and creative identity for those long silenced by chronic illness. For many participants, movement has become dangerous, painful, or inaccessible, but their bodies still have a story to tell.
In a world that often equates disability with defeat, Unbound reclaims disability as a site of artistry. It resists the binaries of sick/well, dancer/non-dancer, and asks instead: What does it mean to move when movement is no longer easy?
This film is a tribute to what disabled life looks like—from the defiant to the mundane, from the theatrical to the tender. It celebrates disabled joy, disabled ambivalence, and disabled existence as vital contributions to culture, rather than deviations from it.
our partners
We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, whose work extends far beyond this film and into the lives of the communities they serve. Narrative Mindworks continues to advance the practice of narrative medicine by creating spaces where stories become pathways to healing, connection, and compassionate care. The Bateman Horne Center is a leader in compassionate clinical care, groundbreaking research, and advocacy for people living with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and related illnesses. Their support of Unbound reflects a shared belief that every body, every story, and every life deserves to be seen.
