Take A Bite

In 2015, 12-year-old Jack Yonover of Wilmette, IL, released his self-written and directed documentary entitled “That Bites!” This 46-minute film explores what it’s like to be young and living with food allergies. Jack’s primary goal was to raise awareness. He does this by interviewing kids of various ages with food allergies, parents of children with food allergies, a chef, and bakery owners. Jack even allows his audience into his appointment with his allergist in an effort to show what allergy testing looks and feels like.

Jack’s food allergy journey began when he ate a cashew in the fifth grade. This is how he and his family discovered his tree nut allergy. Ever since then, eating — something most people can do freely — has become a bit of a challenge. In 2014, when Jack decided he wanted to make this film, he started a Kickstarter campaign. Within just 48 hours, his project was fully funded — in fact, he had raised almost double his goal.

Living with food allergies is hard enough as an adult, but for children it can be even more challenging. Jack’s film put a spotlight on how difficult it can be to attend birthday parties, go on field trips, and even join sports teams. While it is sad that Jack and those he interviewed are dealing with some of the same challenges as me, it is also comforting to know that I am not alone. There is a large community of us who are trying to figure it out along the way and maintain a normal life.

Since its release, this moving documentary has won the Indie Film Fest, Boston International Film Festival, and the Manhattan Film Festival. Jack’s film is not just for those of us with food allergies, but it is also for those who do not. The cost of the film is $9 on Vimeo and with every purchase, $1 is donated to FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education). Check out the trailer for “That Bites!” below:

https://vimeo.com/120267103