Films that Transform: In Dialogue with Others on the Journey

The goal of the Programs in Whole Person Care is to create a focus for healing and whole person care at McGill. Part of our mandate is to contribute to education related to healing within the University, the wider academic community, and the general public. To that end we have designed a film series which will provide a forum for the general public to meet with medical students and other members of the McGill medical community to view and discuss films that will encourage viewers to explore the meaning of healing and “wellness” in daily life.

Electronic media are a powerful way to tap the subconscious. Their capacity to promote positive transformation and healing is the raison d’être of the series. We plan to harness the power of film by following each film with a dialogue between series discussants and members of the general public. The goal of the project is to provide an understanding of healing in a modern biomedical context, and to promote recognition of healing as an integral component of medical practice and of societal change and transformation.

Films 2020

April 14, 2020

Much Too Young (2016) - 1h28 min.

What does it mean to be a young adult who becomes a caregiver for an ailing parent? This documentary is a powerful and unflinching look at four families struggling to cope with an unexpected role reversal, and the complications that come with caring for a parent who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Director, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, with Mr. Cristopher Wynn, Writer and Co-Director of the film, Dr. Serge Gauthier, Director, Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Research Unit, McGill Center for Studies in Aging, Douglas Research Centre, and Ms. Claire Webster, Program Founder of McGill University Dementia Education Program.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvWZPAkO_ck

April 21, 2020

From Shock to Awe (2018) - 1h27min.

How do we heal our deepest wounds? An intimate and raw look at the transformational journey of two combat veterans suffering from severe trauma as they abandon pharmaceuticals to seek relief through the mind-expanding world of psychedelics. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Director, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, with Dr. Gerald Wiviott, Associate Professor, McGill Department of Psychiatry, and Dr. Simon Amar, Psychiatrist. 

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/243404956

April 28, 2020

The Biggest Little Farm (2018) - 1h32min.

The Biggest Little Farm chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature. Through dogged perseverance and embracing the opportunity provided by nature's conflicts, the Chesters unlock and uncover a biodiverse design for living that exists far beyond their farm, its seasons, and our wildest imagination. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, captivating animals, and an urgent message to heed Mother Nature's call, The Biggest Little Farm provides us all a vital blueprint for better living and a healthier planet. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Director, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, with Dr. Elsa Vasseur, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Dr. Marcel Behr, Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Founding Director of the McGill International Tuberculosis Centre, and Dr. Simon Rousseau, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine and Faculty Member of McGill Programs in Whole Person Care.  

Trailer: https://www.uphe.com/movies/the-biggest-little-farm

May 5, 2020

The Farewell (2019) - 1h41min.

Billi's family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch -- the only person that doesn't know she only has a few weeks to live. Screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Director, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, with Dr. Krista Lawlor, MUHC Palliative Care Unit. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RofpAjqwMa8 

Films are screened at 7:00 p.m. in Moyse Hall, Arts Building, 853 Sherbrooke West. NO RESERVATION REQUIRED.

Arts Building, McGill University

Access:
BUS: 24, 80, 107, 144. Follow the road straight up from the Roddick Gates, at Sherbrooke and McGill College.
METRO: Exit at McGill College and walk North towards McGill University.

Please note that as of May 28, 2010, parking availability on McGill’s Downtown Lower Campus was substantially reduced during the week. Main Campus outdoor parking area is only available for the parking of vehicles which have been sponsored by a McGill department (parking north of James Administration Building only) or visitors to the campus who have a provincial handicapped permit.

For more information about other parking facilities as well as parking rates, please click here.

Wheelchair Access to Moyse Hall: The Arts Building is wheelchair accessible through the adjacent Leacock building. Wheelchair access to the Leacock is through the door to right of the main entrance. The corridor to the right leads to the Arts Building. There is a ramp by the first staircase between the two buildings, and an elevator at the second staircase. Moyse Hall is equipped with small elevator which gives access to the theatre.

For information email: wpc.oncology [at] mcgill.ca (Programs in Whole Person Care).

Since its inception in 2005, McGill Programs in Whole Person Care has screened 65 films. See below a list of all films screened since the beginning of the series.