The Pathological Optimist

At the heart of a recent controversy at the Tribeca Film Festival is Andrew Wakefield, whose film “VAXXED: From Cover-up to Controversy” has sparked debate. Wakefield, who lost his medical license due to a notorious study linking the MMR vaccine to bowel disease and autism, is the focus of “THE PATHOLOGICAL OPTIMIST.” This documentary, spanning from 2011 to 2016, offers an intimate glimpse into Wakefield’s life and his family’s as he pursues a defamation lawsuit against the British Medical Journal, aiming to restore his reputation as the media-dubbed leader of the anti-vaccine movement. Directed by Miranda Bailey, the film provides an unprecedented, in-depth look at the man at the center of a major medical and media storm.