Jeremy Slater, 22 years old, has been diagnosed with OCD since the age of 4. An aspect of his OCD is a constant wringing of his hands. He has worked to control it, but it has led to broken fingers and infections from nail biting; Photo by Laura McNamara

It is a film about extreme paranoia and debilitating fear. It is a story of illusion and immobilizing dread. No, this is not a horror movie. It is a narrative drama meant to illuminate the disturbing realities of the fourth largest mental illness plaguing millions of Americans today. Machine Man, a feature film about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is a story meant to save lives.

“I didn’t know that it’s so common and that people have these thoughts that are called ‘harming thoughts,’” Kellie Madison said. “They walk around in life worried that they’re going to hurt another human being and the anxiety is so great it debilitates them… it was so heart-breaking learning about what these people are going through. I knew I had to make a movie on it.”

Up-and-coming Hollywood director Kellie Madison (who has worked with Monster producer Clark Peterson) wants to share the reality of ordinary citizens who are combating a living nightmare… every day. OCD, a neurobiological anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and a need to perform repetitive and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions), currently affects one in 50 adults. One in 25 have dealt with the disorder at some point in their lives.

“It’s not that you might know someone; you do know someone that has OCD,” Madison claims. “You would be shocked at how many people you know have OCD.”

Furthermore, more than 50 percent of those diagnosed with OCD experience suicidal tendencies, and 15 percent have attempted suicide. Most might imagine OCD as an illness associated with hand-washing, checking, being excessively ‘neat,’ or mysophobia (a fear of germs). But, for many, the disorder could mean a constant fear of, say, hitting a pedestrian while driving.  So, just as Rain Man educated the world about autism and Children of a Lesser God eloquently dramatized the hardships of the hearing impaired, Madison hopes Machine Man will be the film that brings global understanding to a condition currently labeled as a ‘closet disorder.’

“There’s a lot of shame involved in OCD,” Madison explained. “They call it a closeted disorder. People are ashamed to tell others ‘I have these thoughts;’ because they come across to the average person as crazy if you don’t understand the disorder.”

Madison likened her screenplay to the psychological drama Fight Club, describing it as a film that visually depicts fears that only exist deep within the recesses of an obsessive compulsive mind.

“Their imagination is so intense that it actually becomes reality to them and for me that just screams something that would be great cinematically,” Madison divulged.

That is why Madison has taken up the challenge to raise the $2 million budget to produce her film through philanthropic fund raising; a feat no producer has yet to achieve.

“We have a long road ahead of us and a lot of money to raise,” Madison admitted. “Sometimes the task seems daunting and I get discouraged like anyone. But, sometimes the task seems like it’s really going to happen. I still need the help of many people in order to make this happen.”

Madison says there has yet to be a film that focuses its entire storyline upon a person’s everyday struggle with anxiety and OCD. Something, she says, that needs to change:

“It’s just time… it’s their time to get their voices heard and their story told in a way that really gives full attention and full authenticity… As a filmmaker you have the power to affect people’s emotions, encourage people to see things differently, educate and evoke newfound empathy for others – all while entertaining them. That’s exactly what we attempt to do with Machine Man. Our hope is to demystify some of the stigma attached to the disorder and eliminate shame aspects often associated with those suffering, thus encouraging people to seek proper treatment and take their lives back.”