Eat Your Catfish

This remarkable family portrait centers around Kathryn, who is living with ALS. Her mind is intact, but the disease has left her body paralyzed and reliant on mechanical breathing. She is in need of caretaking 24/7, but dedicated nurses and aides are hard to find and keep. Exasperated by these circumstances, her husband, Said, has become a bitter and unreliable caretaker, leaving Noah, their grown son, to bear the weight. Amid all the tension and hardship, Kathryn endures her condition, even as she questions her own decision making. With her daughter’s wedding day approaching, she is determined to live to see her child get married. Eat Your Catfish unfolds from Kathryn’s point of view, the camera fixed just behind her. Throughout, her voice clarifies the conflicts and meaningful expressions of affection surrounding her, illuminating both the fissures caused by her illness and the bonds that sustain her will to live.