about the film

Steven has had a shy bladder for most of his life. After years of coping with it alone and in secret, he's finally decided to do something about it: He will learn everything he can about the phobia, try his best to overcome it, and make a movie about the whole thing.

The quest to pee freely takes him far and wide, from probing conversations with reluctant loved ones, to interviews with renowned shy bladder experts, through various forms of therapy, all the way back to a childhood memory where it all began (maybe). Eventually, he finds his way to a huge but hidden community of fellow shy pee-ers, where he finds some relief—though not quite in the way he expected.

the team

STEVEN JACKSON (Director) is an award winning podcast producer, sound designer and composer. He has produced and reported stories for This American Life, Short Cuts, Love + Radio, 99% Invisible, and others. He has worked on series such as The Trojan Horse Affair, Cryptoland, Snitch City, and You Didn’t See Nothin (2024 Pulitzer Prize; 2024 Peabody Award). He lives in Portland, Maine, where he co-founded the audio collective Foghorn, and very frequently jumps in the ocean. This is his first film.

MATT CASCELLA (Story Producer/Editor) was a hyperactive child. Thankfully when he was 12 years old, a camcorder fell into his hands and he was immediately lovestruck. After many scrappy short films and a BA in Directing from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, Matt stumbled into the world of documentary at Maysles Films in Harlem, where he had the pleasure of getting yelled at by Albert Maysles for bad boom operating. Since then, Matt's work has been nominated for two Emmys (Netflix's Long Shot and ESPN's Run Mama Run) and a Critic's Choice Award (The Atlantic Selects' The Unconditional), and has premiered at Sundance (I Am Yup’ik / 2016), Tribeca (Run Mama Run / 2017 & ESPN’S Enhanced / 2018), and Telluride (Long Shot / 2017).

KAITLYN SCHWALJE (Producer) is an award winning science journalist and documentary director based in Portland, Maine. Before pivoting to storytelling, Kaitlyn designed haptic prototypes for the research division of the Walt Disney Company. Her stories about her disaster-obsessed father, tsunamis, and city squirrels appear in National Geographic, WNYC, CBC, Atlas Obscura, and others. Director credits include Snowy (Sundance ’21, Time, Critics Choice nominee, DOCNYC Shortlist).

ALEX WOLF LEWIS (Producer/Cinematographer) is a director and DP based in NYC and Portland, Maine. He has travelled the world for work, shooting for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Vice, Netflix, HBO, PBS, A&E, as well as a number of feature documentaries and shorts. Director credits include Single Room Occupancy (co-directed), Hildegarde’s Piano (Rooftop Film Festival ’19), and Snowy (Sundance ’21). When not making films, he volunteers as an EMT for the town of Falmouth, Maine.

what is shy bladder?

Shy bladder syndrome, also known as paruresis, is a social anxiety disorder. Those suffering from paruresis are fearful of urinating (or, more to the point, failing to urinate) in the presence of others. Symptoms range from the simply inconvenient to the downright debilitating, interfering with virtually every aspect of one's life.

Paruresis stats are very hard to come by. Some experts suggest it affects about 7% of the population in North America, with worldwide prevalence hovering around 4 percent.

The causes of paruresis are unknown, but it is treatable. Studies show that cognitive-behavioral therapy, specifically graduated exposure therapy, is one of the most effective treatments.

For more information, check out the International Paruresis Association, a non-profit focused on paruresis education, advocacy, and treatment.

about the film

the team

what is shy bladder?

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