Check out the trailer for “Angel Applicant,” a now-streaming documentary connecting one man’s scleroderma journey to a painter who lived with the same disease nearly a century ago 🎬
“It was not my intention to make myself the subject of a film, as I’ve become quite reclusive as a result of systemic scleroderma affecting my body,” says Ken Meyer (dx 2001). “However, it occurred somewhat naturally when reading about Paul Klee’s own struggle with the disease, that I began to feel a deep connection to his expressive last works—a reexamination of the artwork that I studied in school, but now through the lens of living with the same progressive illness.”
“Angel Applicant” follows Ken’s story as he traces his connection to Swiss-German painter Paul Klee, who lived with scleroderma and continued to create modernist masterpieces until his passing in 1940. Through Klee’s expressive final works, Ken explores what it means to face scleroderma and keep creating.
The film has earned recognition at some of the most respected festivals in the country, including the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature at SXSW, a Top 10 Audience Favorite at Hot Docs, the Audience Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival, and a selection at Telluride.
Stories like Ken’s matter. So many people live with scleroderma for years before getting a diagnosis, often feeling isolated along the way. The more visibility this disease has, the sooner people can recognize the signs, get answers, and know they’re not alone.
Thank you, Ken, for using your art to help spread scleroderma awareness.
