FILMAKERS LIBRARY

Health

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	Critical Condition What happens when you're sick and uninsured? The unforgettable people in this film discover that it can cost you your job, health, home, savings, and even your life. Critical Condition puts an intimate human face on America's growing health care crisis by chronicling the struggles of a diverse group of uninsured Americans as they battle critical illness over a two-year period. (more)
Bird Flu Wars The international scientific community has been monitoring the bird flu virus since 1997 when seven people died in Hong Kong. This films outlines some of the proposals suggested at the WHO to prevent a pandemic. (more)
The Big Lie This global court room drama reveals how the health of countless people was compromised by the aggressive marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. At stake are billions of dollars. (more) Borderline Medicine. This documentary compares the Canadian system of national health insurance with health-care delivery in the United States. It shows that although routine health care is more accessible in Canada, there are high technology procedures for which patients come to the United States. (more) Breast Cancer: Speaking Out Encourages women to be more assertive in dealing with the disease.(more) Children and Asthma An important film that explores the skyrocketing rise of asthma in the last thirty years, with 5 million children affected. (more) Deception: Munchausen’s Disorder People afflicted with this disorder invent illnesses in order to be admitted to a hospital. Psychiatrists don’t yet understand it, but it diverts valuable health resources away from those who really need them. (more) Ebola War: The Nurses of Gulu Ebola is one of the most contagious and frightening diseases that exists today. It can kill its victim in as little as 48 hours. When it broke out in Northern Uganda, there were scant resources and little knowledge about how to deal with it at Lacor Hospital, in Gulu, Uganda. (more) Health Care on the Critical List This documentary shows that the attempt to contain medical costs can reduce hospital stays and unnecessary tests, but may compromise the quality of care. (more) House Calls House calls by doctors are largely a thing of the past. But one doctor realized how vulnerable his frail elderly housebound patients were, and has devoted his practice to seeing them at home. In this way they are spared the necessity of entering nursing homes. (more) The Inner Healer Shows how laughter, confidence, positive thinking, and faith are necessary ingredients to bring one back to health. Features author Norman Cousins. (more) In the Name of God. Takes us to a hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where circumcised women are given medical care (more) India: Medical Tourism India’s booming private healthcare system is expected to be worth billions of dollars in the decades to come, as westerners flock to India to get healthy. Fed up with long lines and exorbitant fees at home, these patients can now fly to the subcontinent and go straight to the front of the line for cheap operations in newly built, hi-tech hospitals. (more) It's a Boy! In this powerful film about Jewish ritual circumcision of infant sons, the possible aftereffects are revealed. It was directed by a concerned Jewish parent. (more) Laughing Club of India Mira Nair's latest documentary is a portrait of the "serious laughers" who meet daily in India - and now in the U.S. as well - to laugh as a group in order to improve their health. (more) Living With Cancer: The Windstorms of Life Dr. Fred Lee, renowned specialist in prostate cancer, discovers he has the disease. His experience as a patient deepens his understanding of life and death issues. (more) Patterns of Pain Pain and its relief are of primary importance in medicine. This documentary explores methods of pain control. (more) Peter Wegner is Alive and Well and Living in Providence A seventy-year-old professor sustains serious brain injury in an accident His family must decide whether to have him undergo risky surgery which could leave him in a vegetative state. (more) Pins and Needles A moving story of the filmmakers battle to keep her marriage intact despite the physical limitations imposed on her by multiple sclerosis. (more) Plagued: A Series on Disease and Society This four-part series helps to put into perspective the AIDS epidemic that is sweeping the global community. Part 1: The Origins of Disease: Filmed in the U.S., Hungary, India and Australia, this episode investigates through various case studies how epidemics break out. Part 2: Epidemics: Concentrating on bubonic plague (Black Death) and cholera, this film gives a historical account of the spread of these diseases as man explored his world. Part 3: Invisible Armies This program explores the relationship between the immune system and history, using as one example measles, prevalent in the teaming cities of the ancient Near East and now raging through the Hispanic population of Los Angeles. Part 4: Will We Ever Learn? This program shows the interaction between the two epidemics, HIV and syphilis, fostered by drug use and prostitution (more) Riding the Gale (see Pins and Needles above) Quality of Mercy Despite advances in pharmacology, many patients suffer needlessly. This film makes a case for better pain management. (more) Sex, Teens and Public Schools Explores the conditions that have led to escalating rates of teen pregnancy and examines the role that public schools can play in stemming the tide of early and unwanted pregnancy. (more) Smallpox: The Secret Killer A searing report on the attempt in the former Soviet Union to develop "weapons grade" smallpox, which is still a threat. (more) Something Close to Hell The pain of severe burns is said to be greater than that of any other injury. Burn survivors tell about their recovery, both from the physical and psychological effects of trauma. (more) Still Breathing A moving documentary about a 33-year-old man with cystic fibrosis whose capacity for life and sense of humor never wavers. (more) Tears Are Not Enough. Twelve women with breast cancer, in different stages, come together for a retreat. They share their experiences and are helped by the understanding and compassion of the group. (more) What's Ailing Medicine? This program looks at the human side of the health care crisis where millions of Americans lack insurance or are underinsured. (more) Who Cares About Malaria? Malaria has been widely ignored by pharmaceutical researchers because it largely affects impoverished parts of the world. This film looks at a dramatic break through. (more) Who Lives, Who Dies? Despite America's extraordinary medical resources, our health care system fails a large part of the population. While denying routine preventive care to millions, dying patients are often given expensive care they do not want. (more) Wisdom of the Heart Challenges the misconception that women do not get heart disease. In fact, they are often misdiagnosed.(more)