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Cancer (14)
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ChiAnne Wheeler 2013 59 minThis feature documentary follows Canadian actress Babz Chula to Kerala, India, where she is to undergo treatment by a renowned Ayurvedic healer in an effort to manage her 6-year battle with cancer. The bare-bones Indian clinic at first disappoints, but Babz is uplifted as her condition seemingly shows marked signs of improvement following treatment and introspection. Returning home, however, it is revealed that her cancer has actually advanced. Amazingly, the irrepressible actress invites filmmaker Anne Wheeler to continue bearing witness to her journey into the unknown. -
Challenge: Science Against CancerMorten Parker 1950 32 minHow far have scientists advanced toward solving the riddle of cancer, and what are the key problems now facing them? To explain the enormous complexity of the problem, the film traces briefly the growth and multiplication of a single fertilized cell into an adult man, and asks why some outlaw cells begin persistent growth after the whole body has reached maturity. Research scientists are shown following up clues with test tube, microscope, controlled diets and other aids that may guide them to the eventual solution. Methods of treatment being used meanwhile for different types of cancer are briefly described. As each new aspect of the disease is revealed, the secret of cancer is seen to be as complex as the universe itself, and the quest for its solution one of the greatest adventures on which a scientist can embark.
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The Fight: Science Against CancerMorten Parker 1950 21 minThis short explores the genesis of cancerous cells and the mid-20th century state of research into the fight against cancer. The film questions the differences between normal cell growth in the human body and the subversive growth of cancerous cells. Cures have been found for a succession of once invincible diseases, but cancer still presented an enigma at the time of the making of this film—and continues to do so today. The collaboration of a global network of scientists is portrayed in the film, as they painstakingly following every clue that may lead to an eventual solution.
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In My Own Time - Diary of a Cancer PatientJoseph Viszmeg 1995 45 minThis documentary tells the story of Joseph Viszmeg, an Edmonton filmmaker who was diagnosed with a rare form of adrenal cancer in 1991. Doctors gave him a year to live, but 4 years later Viszmeg is very much alive. This is his personal account of living with this disease.
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Making Every Moment CountLeora Kuttner 2003 38 minDr Leora Kuttner, an award-winning filmmaker and an international expert in pediatric pain management, brings us this groundbreaking and comprehensive look at the emerging field of pediatric palliative care.
At the film's heart are five remarkable young people who speak with profound clarity and wisdom about being alive and their approach to death. Layering their stories with interviews, the film is a unique portrait of how families and professionals can come together during a highly emotional time to share in decision making, address fears of death and provide hope.
Dr Kuttner's films have been recognized by the Association for the Care of Children's Health, the Health Sciences Communications Association, and the National Council on Family Relations. -
My Healing Journey: Seven Years with CancerJoseph Viszmeg 1999 46 minThis documentary is about Edmonton filmmaker Joe Viszmeg and his battle with cancer. In 1991, Viszmeg was diagnosed with adrenal cancer and told he wouldn’t live through the year. Four years later, he made In My Own Time—Diary of a Cancer Patient. In My Healing Journey: Seven Years with Cancer, he tells the story of how he survived the roller coaster of a deadly disease. He died in 1999.
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Mr. Mergler's GiftBeverly Shaffer 2004 30 minIn this short film from Oscar® winner Beverly Shaffer, 9-year-old prodigy Xin Ben takes lessons from Daniel Mergler, a piano teacher at the end of his career. In this remarkable story about a student and her mentor, Xin Ben and Mergler meet 26 times over the course of one year. During this time, Xin Ben illuminates Mergler's final months as an instructor with her youthful talent, and he, in return, lovingly guides her towards a life in music.
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No Evidence of DiseaseAndrea Kalin 2012 1 h 25 minNo Evidence of Disease, the words every patient dreams to hear, interweaves the harrowing experiences and remarkable courage of women, devoted families, and dedicated doctors. As music and medicine join forces in the fight for life, the surgeons are transformed into rising rock stars, and their patients and loved ones jump on the bandwagon, infusing the struggle for survival with heart, hope and Rock 'n' Roll.
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The Outlaw WithinMorten Parker 1951 11 minThis short film offers a thorough account of science's battle against cancer. Animated sequences depict the growth and multiplication of cells in both healthy and cancerous developments. Live-action dramatizations follow a patient with a cancerous growth as he seeks treatment in a medical research facility. Dominant issues and actions in cancer research and treatment are covered in detail.
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Pink Ribbons Inc.Léa Pool 2011 1 h 37 minPink Ribbons, Inc. is a feature documentary that shows how the devastating reality of breast cancer, which marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause," has been hijacked by a shiny, pink story of success.
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Reflections on SufferingMalca Gillson 1982 20 minIn a moving conversation with Dr. Balfour M. Mount, friend, colleague and treating physician, cancer victim Jean Cameron, a one-time volunteer social worker in the Palliative Care Unit of Montréal's Royal Victoria hospital, discusses how she has come to terms with her own illness and the perspective it has given her on the meaning of life. What she has to say is relevant to all. The depth of her insight and the grace of her being leave viewers moved and open to thinking more carefully about the meaning of their own lives.
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River of LifeWerner Walcher 2007 53 minThis documentary focuses on the Yukon River Quest, the world's longest annual canoe and kayak race. Athletes come from around the world to test their endurance, racing day and night along 740 km of rugged river shoreline. The film chronicles the experiences of the all-female 2006 Paddlers Abreast team. By following them from the moment they climb into their boat in Whitehorse to the cheers that greet them in Dawson City, the film tells an exhilarating story of a group of women who have faced death and understand how precious life is.
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SessionsDanic Champoux 2012 1 h 24 minCan we fight or even overcome cancer in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility? Filmmaker Danic Champoux believes so and in his documentary, Sessions, he dispels many of the clichés associated with the disease, using empathy and humour to reveal the extraordinary resilience of human beings.
Shot over the course of a year in the common room of an oncology centre, where patients regularly meet when undergoing chemotherapy, the film invites viewers to look at cancer from a new perspective. Sessions chronicles the patients’ intensely emotional encounters, deftly capturing the love and joie de vivre that brighten their often stressful days. Never denying the distress of cancer patients, and that of their families and friends as well, Sessions is, above all, a work of deep humanity and a sensitive portrait of life’s mysteries. -
You Won't Need Running Shoes, DarlingDorothy Todd Henaut 1996 53 minIn this feature-length documentary, acclaimed filmmaker Dorothy Todd Hénaut chronicles a critical two-year period in the lives of her parents, Mildred and Bob Todd. The Todds, retired octogenarians, live a simple but full life by the river in rural Ontario until a sudden change in their health forces a change in their lives. Their old routine of tending the garden and visiting with friends is replaced by hospital stays and home care. And even though the couple’s tenderness and mutual care soften the reality of diminishing strength, Hénaut’s film reveals a gritty, sensitive look at the human aging process.
