Jennifer Brea is a Harvard PhD student soon to be married to the love of her life when she’s struck down by a mysterious fever that leaves her so ill she becomes bedbound, often in excruciating pain.

She becomes progressively unwell, eventually losing the ability even to sit in a wheelchair, but doctors tell her it’s "all in her head." Unable to convey the seriousness and depth of her symptoms to her doctor, Jennifer begins a video diary on her iPhone that eventually becomes the feature documentary Unrest.

Once Jennifer is diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), commonly called chronic fatigue syndrome, she and her new husband, Omar, are left to grapple with how to live in the face of a lifelong illness. Refusing to accept the limitations of life stuck in bed, Jennifer goes on an inspiring virtual voyage around the world where she finds a hidden community of millions who have disappeared from their own lives, confined to their homes and bedrooms by ME. These patients use the internet, Skype and Facebook to connect to each other — and to offer support and understanding.

Many ME patients have experienced uncertainty, confusion and even disbelief from the medical community and society as a whole. After all, it’s easy to ignore a disease when patients are too sick to leave their homes. In Unrest , Jennifer shares her pain and the most intimate moments of her life in order to offer hope and visibility to those who suffer alone in dark, silent rooms.

Though Jennifer and Omar may have to accept that they will never live the life they originally dreamed about, together they find resilience, strength, and meaning in their community and each other.

Unrest VR - go here to book your free place on the Unrest VR experience on Sun 18 Feb.