Life Support Music

Background

As Metzgar explains on the film’s website, Life. Support. Music. tells the story of Jason Crigler, a successful New York-based guitarist who, while playing a show in New York City in 2004, suffered a devastating brain injury. At the hospital after his injury, doctors told Jason’s family, "if he makes it through the night, there won’t be much left of him". Jason’s wife, Monica, pregnant at the time, recounts that she froze. "Everything completely stopped. I forgot all about [my] pregnancy. I think I left my body. I remember thinking, this cannot be true. I cannot go on without Jason".

Days passed, and Jason’s family was forced to accept the new dark reality at hand. But they refused to accept the dark future described by doubtful doctors. So in the face of wrenching despair and horrifying odds, the Criglers made a resolution, "Jason will make a full recovery".

The film features interviews with Norah Jones (who hosted a benefit concert to help defray Jason’s medical expenses), Marshall Crenshaw, Teddy Thompson and others. The film’s original music was created by Eric Liebman.

Screening

Life. Support. Music. premiered at the 2008 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. It then screened at multiple national and international festivals, including the Ashland Film Festival in Ashland, Oregon, the HotDocs Canadian International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, the Independent Film Festival of Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, the Jackson Hole Film Festival in Jackson, Wyoming, the Newport International Film Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, the Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, Maine, the Bioneers Moving Image Festival in San Rafael, California, Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival in Washington, DC, the Festival Internazionale del Film di Roma in Rome, Italy, Camden International Film Festival in Camden, Maine, and Dokufest International Documentary Festival in Prizren, Republic of Kosova.

Awards

Release

Life. Support. Music. began a theatrical run in New York City on February 6, 2009; director Eric Daniel Metzgar and subject Jason Crigler participated in Q&A sessions during the first several screenings.

The film will be broadcast in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service's P.O.V. series beginning July 7, 2009.