“I am sorry, but you have breast cancer.”
Shattering words. I know. I have heard them twice in the last three years and am currently undergoing reconstruction after a bilateral mastectomy.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that each year over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and over 40,000 patients will die from the disease. Breast cancer is truly an epidemic among women and its prevalence is complicated by variables such as age, culture, income, rural isolation and genetic risk factors.
SYNOPSIS
LIFE INTERRUPTED, a documentary feature film about breast cancer chronicles the experiences of five unique breast cancer survivors including the filmmaker herself, through varying stages of the disease. These women have already confronted a life-altering diagnosis, and respond to their disease process and the rebuilding of their lives with honesty, dignity, humor, and grace.
Breast cancer is an equal opportunity disease and thus, it is important to hear the variety of stories and circumstances that women experience with this disease. With widely diverging ages (27-68), ethnicities (African-American, Native American, Jewish, Latina) socio-economic and geographic backgrounds, the shared stories illustrate the important role that education plays in successful detection, treatment and survival rates. Juxtaposed to these narratives, medical specialists will reflect on each case with unique assessments from their own clinical practice examining current trends in prevention and the role of research in the field of breast cancer.
WHY THIS FILM?
“Knowledge is power. Rather than merely chronicling how one copes with an infirmity, Life Interrupted serves as an educational model for overcoming any challenge or obstacle with clarity and honesty, delivering tangible HOPE for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Hearing stories from articulate women who have traveled this road before us is invaluable. Knowledge is power and the successful prevention and treatment of breast cancer depends on this. As an informed consumer, the film is something that many survivors wish we had when faced with the myriad of decisions to be made. Each woman’s diagnosis is unique to her circumstances and she must make life-altering decisions in a relatively quick and informed way. These decisions include information
gathering as well as emotional decision-making.
Breast Cancer is not a one-size fits all disease. Tests, research and many appointments followed my first diagnosis with specialists in order to determine the treatment that was right for me. I also relied on fellow inductees of the Dreaded Sisterhood for help in navigating the treatments and keeping hope alive.
From my ongoing experiences, I began to envision a powerful film that would include women from various backgrounds sharing their journey into and back from the world of Breast Cancer.
BIO
Paula Mozen, is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, educator, and PBS consultant who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2008 and again in May 2011. She has served on the film faculties at Towson University in Baltimore, Montana State University, and San Francisco State University. Her two highly acclaimed Health Issue documentaries are NO REWIND (teenagers and HIV/AIDS) and 3 girls i know… (young women and sexuality) are currently distributed nationally and internationally to over 6,000 high schools, universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Columbia among many others ), public libraries, hospitals, medical schools, community health clinics and public health departments; have been screened at dozens of highly acclaimed international film festivals; and broadcast by PBS, Discovery Channel and Knowledge Network.
TARGET MARKET
Newly diagnosed patients and their families, healthcare advocates and caregivers will use the film as a guide and for support. It will be made available to Community Health and Cancer Treatment Centers for their resource libraries. It will be useful for healthcare providers who want to include cultural competence as a critical part of their curricula and will be made available to health programs at Universities and Medical Institutions.
DISTRIBUTION
Ms. Mozen will use her extensive experience and contacts in Health Issue documentaries to distribute LIFE INTERRUPTED to the markets mentioned above via a multi-platform strategy which includes; website and social networking, partnerships with local and key organizations who work with breast cancer, partnerships with educational distributors festivals, screenings, conferences and broadcast. (Comprehensive target market analysis and distribution strategy available upon request)
FISCAL SPONSOR
The film is being sponsored by Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) www.womenandenvironment.org, a national organization that engages women to advocate for the right to live in a healthy environment. Effective ongoing Campaigns include; Safe Cleaning Products Initiative, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance, Mercury and Public Health.
LIFE INTERRUPTED CONTACT
http://www.lifeinterruptedfilm.wordpress.com
Paula Mozen, Director/Producer
406.624.6049, pmozen1@gmail.com
