Recently, I took part in an interview, ‘Chemical Sensitivity, the illness crippling millions yet dismissed by doctors‘. #notAllDoctors lol 😉 It was fun. As an aspiring film maker, with a hankering to do a documentary, it was the most exciting thing to happen in years. On the one hand, when asked to do it, I thought ‘What’s to lose; lost everything anyway!’ So I let myself sit in a chair with a camera in my face and a microphone clinging to my lapel. All I could think was, am I a shooting duck? Guess what? I didn’t get shot.
Thanks SBS.
Filmmaker, Simon Cunich was very, I mean extremely!, fragrance free; especially for someone who wasn’t given explicit instructions so that was nice. But yes, he had already completed his documentary on CFS, Fighting to be Believed and I am sure he had ran into the quagmire of social constructs that is the fragrance-free air surrounding people like us.
Considering that ‘Chemical Sensitivity, the illness crippling millions yet dismissed by doctors’ was shot by filmmaker Simon Cunich; and with one of Australia’s most ethical and trustable news sources: SBS! One of my favourite news shows, ‘The Feed‘, ran with the storyline, presenting the latest research on fragrance irritants by Professor Anne Stienemann, the impact fragrances have on people with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and as examples of this impact, two patients with fragrance sensitivity. When I was first contacted by documentary filmmaker Cunich, I had only had one question:
Is this show actually about MCS or is it about questioning the actual existence of MCS?
To which I was told: “There’s no doubt about it existing, it’s more about the impact that fragrances have on the lives of people who suffer with MCS and how they live with that.” I was in. “Apparently, a former documentary on ME/CFS had led Cunich down the rabbit hole of fragrance sensitivity: People with CFS do in deed have it, as do people with MCS, CIRS, RADS, Lung Disease, it’s a problem not often acknowledged. Our right to breath is trumped by companies selling fragrances to those who feel it’s their right to wear them even at the expense of others health.
I didn’t sign a contract or get anything in writing. I had no clue as to how this would turn out but by Cunich’s previous work, I felt safe. Excited, nervous, somewhat apprehensive to how I personally might be perceived or represented. Ergo, knowing that Professor Anne Stienemann was also being interviewed, I swooned in a little fan girl moment. Then I found out that one of the authors we studied in my very first fiction class, Kate Grenville, author of The Case Against Fragrance (However, we dissected, The Secret River, which has changed my mind on how I view our history, totally. It’s probably one of the books that made the most impact on my life.) Hopefully, The Case Against Fragrance will do the same…
‘Fact-dense and extensively referenced, the book is a delight to read and never gets bogged down…While some of the science has been simplified, the book generally conveys the sense of it correctly…Well developed and thoughtful. Read The Case Against Fragrance and you will never think about fragrance in the same way again. If you have been suffering fragrance in silence, you will know you are not alone.’
More by filmmaker, Simon Cunich
My thoughts are that this fragrance industry is powerful and they will do everything to not acknowledge the destructive chemical scents in their products. They see people with MCS as complainers, psychiatric cases, etc. unregulated products should scare everyone into demanding safe(r) products. The power of advertising and people’s gullibility doesn’t help matters. We should demand laws that protect us from being poisoned. But addiction to chemicals and synthetic scents will keep people imprisoned by lack of government interference.
I agree with your thoughts, however, we both know that the truth doesn’t go away and as more and more people get sick—especially those that are in Government or hold influential positions—life for us will change, eventually. It does scare me to think how many people, especially innocent children who cannot speak up for themselves, need to get sick and disabled for this to happen; also of interest: there are celebrities who endorse fragrances yet are also
allergicchemically sensitive to them: https://www.ranker.com/list/celebrities-with-allergies/celebrity-lists?page=4 . In my opinion it’s a matter of getting people to understand that a scent/fragrance/perfume is more than just a smell, it’s a bunch of chemicals sold as ‘luxury’ and ‘status’: a lie. It will take sick politicians to create change because as we can see by Beyonce, allegedly, being allergic to fragrances, even she still follows the all-mighty dollar by endorsing them and selling her own!Thank you for having the courage to go on national television to help educate the people of Australia. Two years ago I could live with scented products in my life. Now I’m getting closer and closer to being as affected as you, thanks to 5 days a week contact with colleagues in a Government organisation. I have practically begged for people to stop. I do not have the right to work in a safe environment. Look around. All the policy that was developed to help people with MCS is being rescinded or has just plainly disappeared. 404 File not found.
That’s okay, I enjoyed as I have been sick for far too long! Yes, I have noticed a few things missing from the internet. I had to relocate the ‘Access to Goods and Services Guidelines’ as they were no longer available: 404 File not found! It can now be downloaded from various links on this page, however, I aim to place them into a PDF so they are available permanently from this site. No 404 for this one: https://the-labyrinth.com/2013/01/15/access-to-buildings-and-services/
Is there something in particular that you cannot find? Just out of interest.
Have a good day!
Thanks Michellina, it is so hard to educate the masses, and governments of the dangers and harm these toxic stinking chemical fragrances, when will they ever learn that these are not pressed flowers, and Oh btw ppl are so sympathetic about ‘hayfever’ and that’s caused by pollens; can they not realise the damage fake particulate from chemicals does,