In Designer Shit, Director Saffron Cassaday is at her wit’s end after suffering from ulcerative colitis for nearly a decade. Desperate to try this promising new treatment, she is frustrated when her gastroenterologist refuses to consider Fecal Transplant as a viable treatment option and decides to take matters into her own hands. 

From convincing her live-in boyfriend to be her donor (Who says chivalry is dead?), to turning their apartment into a makeshift production facility for what some are calling “brown gold”, Saffron spares no details in her quest to uncover what some experts believe will be the biggest medical breakthrough of the twentieth century.

In an attempt to gain a more concrete understanding of her condition, as well as a range of other illnesses that may be based in the gut, Saffron meets with leading researchers, and tours stool banks and clinical research facilities. On a more personal level, we witness how the ups and downs of her condition affect her relationship with her romantic partner/stool donor.

Deeply personal and laced with humor, this bold documentary not only presents a fascinating look at the microbiome, but it explores what it means to be an empowered healthcare consumer.

Part investigative journalism, part romantic comedy, Designer Sh*t enlightens us on the power “poo” has to affect our health, happiness and possibly even our physical appearance.