Oak Street Films (www.oakstreetfilms.com) and CoPac (www.barkinglegs.org) will have encore screenings of Passion Flower, as well as the premieres of Footprints and Relearning Everything—three short documentaries about unconventional approaches to Health issues undertaken by locally based non-profit organizations.
There will be two shows at Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave., on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Admission for these events is a requested minimum donation of $10; a large percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the organizations depicted in the films.
Passion Flower (2007, 19min. 52sec., color) deals with dancer Ann Law's decision, after having been diagnosed with breast cancer and having undergone a double mastectomy, to have her chest tattooed instead of being fitted with prostheses or submitting to reconstructive surgery. Ms. Law's moving story illustrates the power of creativity as a means of psychological recovery, inspiring confidence in the idea that a defiantly optimistic attitude in the face of serious illness can be as powerful a healing tool as conventional Western medicine.
Footprints (2007, 14 min. 50 sec., color) brings to light an art program facilitated by muralist Frances McDonald and hosted by the AIM Center, a Chattanooga "clubhouse" whose mission is to aid in the social reintegration of adults with persistent mental health issues. Shot in what might be called a cinéma vérité style, the film depicts a single day in the creation of a collaborative art project which will enable the Center's members to make their individual marks on the Center's new facility.
Relearning Everything (2008, 30 min. 13 sec., color) offers an intimate and truthful portrayal of the lives of individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries, a population served locally by the Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association. Recovery is revealed to be a lifelong process in which many of the most basic tasks we all take for granted must be remastered—and in the strength and determination of these survivors is a powerful message of hope which applies to us all.
The filmmaker will be happy to make “screener” DVD's available to the media and/or make himself available for interview upon request.
Contact Jarrod Whaley at (423) 870-0887 or jaimetout@oakstreetfilms.com for more information.