The Institute for Cinema Studies presents
The world premiere of Who Needs Sleep? showed to a packed and enthusiastic audience at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The lively post-screening discussions made it obvious that people do not want to accept uncivilized working hours.
This warm reception in Park City, Utah was followed by festivals in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Edinburgh, Scotland. Screenings organized by the Directors Guild, the Writers Guild, and the Cinematographer’s Union, have proved the fundamental importance and universality of the sleep and long work hours issue.
Since its premiere in January, from Germany to Australia, people from around the world have been expressing their appreciation for the filmmakers of Who Needs Sleep?, and go out of their way to share their own stories of long hours in the film-making business.
The growing grassroots movement of all working people to reduce excessive hours spent at work became not only a positive feedback, but also a support for the need to bring change.
Ahhh... the glamorous life in Hollywood. Or is it? Film crews routinely work sweatshop hours, often clocking 15 to 18 hour days at the expense of their families, their health, their well-being, and even their lives.
In 1997, after a 19-hour day on the set, assistant cameraman Brent Hershman fell asleep behind the wheel, crashed his car, and died. Deeply disturbed by Hershman's preventable death, filmmaker and multiple-Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler shows how sleep deprivation and long work hours are a lethal combination. WHO NEEDS SLEEP? is a commentary on our quality of life.
A documentary feature from Haskell Wexler, A.S.C.
Who Needs Sleep? has now been seen by thousands of people all over the world and the awareness of the problem of chronic sleep deprivation is recognized by working people in the United States, England, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Russia and many others. The relationship between working excessive long hours and health, quality of life and the very nature of “making a living” is understood more clearly now in part due to “Who Needs Sleep?” documentary.
The DVD for this important documentary is now available for purchase at a reduced price of $ 15.00 (US dollars).
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
Sleep is vital to our health and well being. Yet millions of us are not getting enough sleep, or are suffering from other sleep problems.
Poor sleep has a price. Millions of individuals struggle to stay alert at home, in school, on the job - and on the road. Tragically, fatigue contributes to more than 100,000 police-reported highway crashes, causing 71,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths each year in the United States alone.
Haskell Wexler and the whole team at Who Needs Sleep? and 12On - 12Off has continued to consult with the National Sleep Foundation. The NSF is a really good resource for us all to more fully understand how vital sleep is to sustaining a healthy human existence.
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12on - 12off
#1 No more than 12 hours of Work
#2 No less than 12 hours of Turnaround
#3 No more than 6 hours between Meals
