During this election year, voters say that health care is one of the most important issues for the government to address. Americans are speaking up about health care issues — here are some films from P.O.V. and our partners at the Media That Matters Film Festival.
What happens if you fall sick and are one of 47 million people in America without health insurance? Roger Weisberg (Waging a Living, P.O.V. 2006) puts a human face on the nation's growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, even their lives. View the trailer:
BACKGROUND: Basic Facts About the Uninsured
Get the facts about the uninsured in the U.S., health care spending and the consequences of lack of coverage. Read about governmental and national health care plans, the presidential candidates' viewpoints on health care and today's current legislation.
ADDITIONAL VIDEO: Two Families Struggle Without Insurance Forty-seven million Americans live without health insurance, with many of them losing their insurance exactly when they need it most: when they fall ill and can no longer work. Watch two additional stories from filmmaker Roger Weisberg about ordinary Americans families who are struggling without insurance.
Diana
6:53 min
Directed and Produced by Project: Think Different
More About Diana from Director Brynmore Williams
We were approached by MTV to help create a documentary special about young people affected by HIV. What we quickly learned is that in 2006, very few young people were even educated about HIV.
Diana is a young woman living with HIV. A mother of two, powerful advocate and activist, sister, friend and fighter for people’s rights, Diana’s story is one of many in a world where HIV has been a reality for nearly three decades. Diana and her sister Kathy are incredible young women living with a disease that has wracked the common consciousness for over 25 years now. This film is an inspirational look at the reality of HIV today.
Inspired by what you've seen? Take action! Read more about health and wellness resources from MediaRights.org and Media That Matters.
These are just a few P.O.V. films that highlight issues surrounding health and healthcare. If you're a community organizer or teacher interested in screening a film for your community, learn more about how you can borrow these and other health-related films from P.O.V.
When Joanna Rudnick tested positive for the "breast cancer gene" at age 27, she knew she was not only confronting mortality at an early age, but also was going to have to make heart-wrenching decisions about the life that lay ahead of her. Should she take the irreversible preventive step of having her breasts and ovaries removed or risk developing cancer? What would happen to her romantic life, her hopes for a family? In the Family documents Rudnick's efforts to reach out to other women while facing her deepest fears.
Libby, Montana
by Doug Hawes-Davis and Drury Gunn Carr (P.O.V. 2007)
Libby, Montana is a small town nestled below the rugged peaks of the Rockies. It is also the site of the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history. Hundreds in Libby are sick or have already died from asbestos exposure. View additional videos about the heartbreak of the Libby tragedy.
West 47th Street
by Bill Lichtenstein and
June Peoples (P.O.V. 2003)
Life on the streets of New York City for the poor and homeless is an unforgiving struggle. For those who also battle mental illness, it is marked by the additional pressures of fear, isolation and misunderstanding. West 47th Street reveals the human face of mental illness — and the faith and courage with which its victims fight to recover control of their lives.
Think you know where you
stand on the issues? Then why not consider the other side?
Posts from the P.O.V. Blog tagged with "health"
In the Family's Joanna Rudnick on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act — In 2001, at the age of 27, I decided to take a genetic test to find out my odds of getting breast and ovarian cancer. As I pondered what a positive test result would mean to my future, one of my main concerns was the potential for losing my health insurance because of a pre-existing condition....»Read more
posted 05/16/08
Questions for Critical Condition Filmmaker Roger Weisberg — With Critical Condition, Roger Weisberg takes an unflinching look at what it's like to be sick and uninsured in America. He took a few minutes to answer some questions about his film and why health care and universal health insurance should be a critical issue during this election year...»Read more
posted 2/04/08