Filmmaker Anne De Lean has had migraines since she was a little girl. Her father, Jacques De Lean, MD, a neurologist in Quebec City, also suffers from the sometimes debilitating condition that affects 10 percent of all adults ages 18 to 65 worldwide.

The father-daughter duo partnered to create a video explaining migraines as part of a film competition run by the American Brain Foundation. Called the Neuro Film Festival, was founded five years ago to raise awareness about brain diseases such as migraines, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Alzheimer's.

"We wanted to show how migraines are disabling," Dr. De Lean said. "Migraines don't kill anybody, but they do reduce the quality of life, and this is why we need more research.

Migraines can cause severe pain, nausea, and light and sound sensitivity. The De Leans' video, The Sound of the Light Bulb, follows a young woman in the throes of a migraine throughout her house as she struggles to complete everyday tasks. It received a special mention from the Neuro Film Festival judges.

Everyday Health interviewed Anne De Lean about her experiences with migraines and her motivation to compete in the film festival.

Everyday Health: What is your background with migraines? Tell me about your first migraine.

Anne De Lean: I had my first migraine when I was 12. During that particular crisis, I was so sound-sensitive that I could hear the light bulb in my room, which is how we named the film.

Both my parents have migraines, so when I told them about my terrible headache and how I felt nauseous, they knew I was starting to exhibit symptoms of the condition. My father is a neurologist who specializes in migraines so I had a lot of information on this disease from the start.

EH: What is your video about?

De Lean: It is about my experience, my remembrance of that first migraine. I describe it in a very personal way.

The objective of the video was to present real medical facts about migraine but from a patient perspective. What does a migraine crisis represent for somebody? What does it feel like? What are the consequences of migraine on everyday life?

I wrote the script so that the public could try to understand what having a migraine is like. This is why I chose to use stop-motion images instead of video, because migraine distorts perception, and stop-motion really illustrates this feeling of altered reality.

EH: Why did you decide to enter the competition?

De Lean: My father told me about the competition. We wanted to produce a video accurately describing an illness that is often trivialized by the general population. A migraine doesn’t kill, but it's a disease that can greatly affect your quality of life, and there is no cure.

EH: How did it feel to create a film about migraines considering you experience them yourself?

De Lean: I think my experiences with migraine helped me write and film the script. It was nice to be able to share this with other people who have migraines, and more importantly, people who don't suffer from migraines so that they can have a better understanding of what the disease is like.

My father now uses this film for educational purposes, to teach young doctors about the condition, and I'm glad my experience can be used for such a good purpose.

EH: What do you hope to accomplish with this video? 

We hope create a better understanding of the disease and its consequences.

People who have migraines probably won’t learn anything new from this video. They probably have experienced most of the symptoms the film talks about. However, they could use it to show their family and friends what they are going through. Because, believe me, it's really not a simple headache!

Want to get involved? You can watch The Sound of the Light Bulb on Youtube, and enter this year's competition by going to the foundation's website.