Pulse Films Takes TV Rights to Memoir What Have I Done?

Pulse Films has acquired the rights to the memoir What Have I Done?, written by Laura Dockrill.

What Have I Done? tells a raw, courageous and honest recovery story that breaks the silence on postpartum psychosis. The heartbreaking and uplifting memoir is about resilience, love and finding your way to the other side. Pulse Films is planning a scripted adaptation with the author on board to write the project.

When Dockrill, who could not wait to meet her new baby, went into labor, things began to go wrong and she started to struggle. The combination of a traumatic birth, anxiety about the baby, sleep deprivation and a slow recovery left her overwhelmed. Despite this difficult experience, Dockrill tells a hopeful story in What Have I Done?, as she has since gotten better and come out on the other side stronger and more assured.

Dockrill said: “Revisiting my experience of postpartum psychosis is not something I can get wrong, I value my recovery so much. I see What Have I Done? as precious cargo! Writing the book saved my life. So, if I was going to retell the trauma for the screen I had to collaborate with an indestructible team that was willing to push storytelling to the limits, without boundaries or compromise. A team that was unapologetic, tenacious, courageous and ambitious. With guts. And motivated by their hearts. A team that would ride down this mystifying road with me—ugly monsters and all. That is going to take the leap. My story, as scary as it is, is ultimately a human-being story—it is a story of true love. And that’s what Pulse Films is all about; truth and love. And that is what is needed to conceive something that people can believe in. They say it takes a village to make a baby, it takes the same to breathe life into a story too. And I feel very proud and excited to have Pulse Films in my village.”

Abigail Dennis, head of development at Pulse Films, said: “What Have I Done? is an urgent and vital exploration of female mental health, which manages to transcend the personal confines of Laura’s own experience through an intricacy of storytelling that feels at once both singular and universal. Having devoured the book in one sitting, we all knew instantly that this was a project we simply had to bring to the screen here at Pulse Films. Working alongside Laura on GOLDFISH was an absolute joy, and we are delighted to be continuing the relationship and embarking on a new journey with her and her groundbreaking memoir.”

Thomas Benski, CEO at Pulse Films added: “We are honored that Laura has entrusted us with her story, and I am excited for the big plans we have for the adaptation process and know the result will be a game-changer. This project also demonstrates our studio’s development and diversification and speaks directly to our mission to elevate young talent, tell fresh stories and shift the conversation.”