What happens when a person can’t feel pain? Tackling another unusual subject (her last film, Whole, focused on voluntary amputees), documentarian Melody delves into the day-to-day lives of three children who literally feel no pain. Three-year-old Gabby from Minnesota, 7-year-old Miriam from Norway, and 10-year old Jamilah from Germany suffer from this rare genetic defect. Their parents try to monitor every move, but even their vigilance hasn’t shielded the girls from many serious, life-altering injuries. As we follow these families coping with this enormous challenge, we learn that pain is really a gift that no one wants, but that none of us can do without. Gilbert uses her trademark unflinching eye to shed light on a condition very few even know exists, but which consumes the families of those who suffer from it. Melody Gilbert is an Emmy award-winning independent documentary filmmaker and educator from St. Paul, Minnesota. Her documentary Whole premiered at the 2003 Los Angeles Film Festival. Her debut independent documentary, Married at the Mall, has also screened on television overseas and in festivals around the world. Ms. Gilbert is also the 2004 IFP/McKnight Foundation Artists Fellow for filmmaking. –EC