As she turns forty - an age doctors once said she would never reach - Emma Fogarty, who lives with the rare and extremely painful condition Epidermolysis Bullosa, takes up an offer from longtime friend Colin Farrell; they agree to run the Dublin Marathon together, with Colin pushing Emma's wheelchair for the final four kilometres. Also follow their lives and the enduring friendship that has sustained them through the years.
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For more than forty years, Emma Fogarty has lived with the debilitating effects of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare, predominantly inherited group of disorders that affect the proteins responsible for holding the layers of our skin together. Every other day, for up to four hours, Fogarty's lesions and wounds must be delicately treated and rebandaged. Not expected to survive infancy, Fogarty's resilience has become the stuff of legend, eventually leading to a chance encounter fifteen years ago with Academy Award-nominated Irish actor and humanitarian Colin Farrell at a fundraiser. What blossoms out of that chance encounter forms the basis of the new documentary **THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH**, which chronicles their poignant friendship and an ambitious dream they share as Fogarty celebrates her 40th birthday. Determined to raise awareness of Fogarty's condition, Farrell announces his intention to run the famed Dublin Marathon, raising money for DEBRA Ireland, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting people living with Epidermolysis Bullosa -- but with a twist: Fogarty will join him for the final leg of the journey. **THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH** gives viewers extraordinary access to Fogarty's harrowing daily challenges living with EB, and the heroic support of her family. But the film also provides a heartwarming glimpse into Farrell's private life as a father caring for his two sons, James and Henry. It becomes instantly understandable how empathetic Farrell is after watching him interact with his eldest son, James, whose own rare neurological disorder (Angelman syndrome) has profoundly influenced his father's outlook on life and his responsibilities as a parent. As the date of the marathon approaches back in Ireland, Fogarty's challenges continue to mount, raising concerns about her physical well-being and whether she can endure being pushed the final four kilometers of the Dublin Marathon. Directed by Rachel Fleit, whose earlier documentary work explores the challenges of individuals living with disabilities, **THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH** is a wonderful film that celebrates the importance of friendship and the extraordinary capacity of human kindness to make even the most difficult circumstances in life a little more bearable. Bring tissues.
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