QUARKS DOKU: Tourette’s! Felix fights against his tics

Felix (22) has Tourette syndrome. He has had tics since he was eight years old: he jerks his head, arms, and legs, screams involuntarily, and has compulsive control issues. Felix is at the mercy of his tics during stressful periods and is often stared at in everyday life because of his Tourette’s. Felix is studying business administration and is able to get a taste of his dream job during an internship at Hamburg Airport. Felix recently started taking a new cannabis-based medication that has fewer side effects than antipsychotics. Will THC help him cope better with his hectic workday? Felix wants to suppress his tics as much as possible during the day, which takes a lot of energy. In the evenings, he is exhausted and tries to relax using a variety of methods. Quark’s documentary sheds light on the causes of Tourette’s, shows what research knows about the development of tics, and why Tourette’s is more common in boys than in girls. Why do people with Tourette’s syndrome often also have obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, or autism?

TEAM

Written and directed by: Oskar Köppen // Collaboration: Tim Renner // Camera: Sven Kiesche, Julian Kiesche // Sound: Finn Westphal // Editing: Marc Schubert // Graphics: Anastasia Wagner // Sound editing: Mathis Hohmann // Sound mixing: Marcus Heimeshoff // Color matching: Billy Gomez // Narrator: Rabea Wyrwich // Production manager: Katja Sträter // Production assistants: Alican Tamkan, Karl Hax // Producers: Sarah Zierul, Thomas Weidenbach // Comissioning Editor: Claudia Heiss // Produced by Längengrad Filmproduktion on behalf of WDR