Poignant Documentary Showcases a Sense of Hope: Matter of Time Film Review

Matter of Time.

Matter of Time made its Canadian red carpet premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival this September. The stirring documentary blends together music, science, and advocacy across the music community, in the fight to cure Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare and painful genetic skin disorder often referred to as "the butterfly disease."

Directed by Matt Finlin, the film began with a chance meeting that would evolve into a years-long collaboration. “I was introduced to Eli Meyer, a young boy living with a severe form of EB,” Finlin told REVERIE on the red carpet. “Despite everything, his spirit was never broken. He changed my life.” That encounter led Finlin to connect with EB Research Partnership, co-founded by Jill and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, and its CEO, Michael Hund. What followed was a six-year journey documenting the lives of patients, families, and researchers pushing toward a cure.

Set against the backdrop of a benefit concert organized by Vedder in Seattle, the film goes well beyond the music. It’s an intimate look at the power that can be found within a community who cares. Scoring the emotional journey at the centre of the film, is a heartfelt original soundtrack from composer Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. Drew, who first connected with the project through a 2022 telethon organized by Finlin, quickly found himself drawn into the cause. “To find yourself surrounded by something that could be cured… and to find hope in a time when it feels like there’s so little of it, that’s everything,” said Drew.

From just two clinical trials a decade ago to more than 50 today, and with three FDA-approved treatments since filming began, the film charts real progress. “This marks a tipping point,” said Hund. “We meet storytellers like Matt Finlin that can share this with the world, meet musicians and talents like Kevin Drew and Broken Social Scene, and all of that is an accelerant to accomplish the big, bold audacious goal, which is to find a cure once and for all.”

With a soaring score, poignant storytelling, and a mission rooted in both art and science, Matter of Time is a call to action—and a reminder of what’s possible.