​

Synopsis

​

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Inanna’s descent, Fall of the Phoenix is a magical realism documentary told through the intimate, dreamlike lens of filmmaker Lauren Lindberg. What begins as an investigation into her sister’s sports-related concussions, spirals into something deeper: a personal reckoning with her own misdiagnosed brain injuries – and a vast journey into a hidden epidemic.

​

Lauren’s unfolding awareness becomes a portal into the lives of other survivors whose experiences reveal how traumatic brain injury (TBI) hides in plain sight – intertwined with misdiagnosis, mental health, gender violence, incarceration, homelessness, addiction and suicide. Through deeply human stories, cinematic vignettes, and imaginative visuals, Fall of the Phoenix moves from icy Alaskan roads to locker-lined high school hallways, from a jail-turned-research site rewriting national policy to ethereal healing gardens.

 

​