Medical Sciences and Technology/
Public Health

Addiction

Aging and the Aged

Alternative Medicine

Biotechnology/Reproductive Technologies

Stem Cell and Other Medical Research

Death and Dying

Disease/disease control

Disease/disease control: AIDS

Drugs / Pharmaceutical Industry

Food and Eating SEE Food: Production, Consumption, Politics videography

Health and the Developing World

Smoking/Tobacco Production and use

General Medicine and Health

Life Sciences for videos on Human Biology, Physiology and Genetics and Human Origins.

Women & Gender Studies - Reproductive Rights

Gay & Lesbian videography for videos on social and political aspects of AIDS.

Social, Political, and Economic Issue for videos on drug trafficking and use

Propaganda for vintage health, hygiene, and sex education films

Physical/Physiological disability

Mental disability (includes videos on addiction)

Psychology (includes videos on neurophysiology and brain dysfunctions)

Scientists and Medical Doctors in the Movies

Addiction

Propaganda (for anti-drug propaganda and educational films, 1930-1970)

Social, Political & Economic Issues: Drug Traffic and Use

The Addicted Brain.

Shows how the human brain manufactures and uses drugs. Explores the cutting edge of developments in the biochemistry of addiction and addictive behavior. c1987. 26 min. Video/C 1189

Addiction(The Mind; 4)

Explores addictive behavior, with emphasis on addiction to drugs. Discusses why some people are able to overcome their addictions while others cannot, what type of individual is most susceptible to addiction, and the factors of the mind and brain that influence recovery from addiction. Video/C 1301:4

The Alcohol Years

Alcohol years: A poetic retrieval of the years filmmaker Carol Morley spent in Manchester, where in the early 1980s, her life was lost in an alcoholic blur. In Morley's search for her lost self, conflicting memories and viewpoints weave in and out, revealing a portrait of the city, its pop culture, and the people who lived it. Everyday something: Based on the filmmaker's collection of newspaper cuttings the film presents private moments that give strange glimpses into everyday life. Stalin, my neighbour: To try and forget her own past Annie becomes ever more obsessed with local history. Filmed in East London. 2005. 79 min. DVD 4127

Altered States: A History of Drug Use in America

A documentary on the history of America's drug use and abuse, from practices by early American European settlers through Prohibition and up to today. The film encompasses the use of tobacco, alcohol, morphine, caffeine, opium, cocaine, LSD, marijuana and other substances. The program also documents the cultural, social and political movements that impacted or were impacted by the use of drugs and indicates that drug use is not a contemporary phenomenon and problem but has been a constant presence throughout the country's social history. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1995. 60 min. Video/C 8207

The Battle Over How to Fight the War on Drugs.

An analysis and debate on conflicting approaches to preventing drug abuse and trafficking. Should America shift its strategy in the war on drugs from prevention, interdiction, and prosecution to a policy of treatment, regulation, and control? Originally broadcast June 22, 1998 on the television program Nightline Dist.: Films Media Group. c1999. 22 min. Video/C 7166

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

A documentary filmed in San Francisco, California from December 1995 to January 1998 when black tar heroin use, particularly among young adults, surged to record levels in the city. Looks at two years in the lives of five young heroin addicts, ages 18 to 25, as they face the perils of hard core drug addiction -- crime, prostitution, rape, incarceration, AIDS, overdoses and death. A film by Steven Okazaki.1999. 75 min. Video/C 8727

Close To Home: Bill Moyers on AdditionDist.: Films Media Group.1998. each installment.

Portrait of Addiction. Bill Moyers explores the issues of drug and alcoholaddiction. Nine men and women, all recovering fromdrug and/or alcohol addiction, tell their stories.

The Hijacked Brain. Scientists are making dramatic discoveries about how addiction affects the brain. Bill Moyers goes into thelaboratory to follow researchers engaged in charting the effects of cocaine on a brain, who explain how brain scans reveal addiction as a chronic relapsing brain disease. Moyers also observes a genetic researcher as he monitors a variety of factorsthat may determine who is likely to developalcoholism. 57 min. Video/C 6506

Changing Lives. Bill Moyers focuses on the point that no singletreatment program will work for all addicts. He visitsthe Ridgeview Institute to interview recovering addicts and sit in on a group therapy session. The program also visits Project Safe, a treatment program that reaches out to disadvantaged mothers who are addicts and to their children who areat serious risk of becoming addicts. 57 min. 90 min. Video/C 6507

The Next Generation. Experts are increasingly focusing on prevention efforts based on community and family. This documentary looksat two of these efforts. One works with parents addicted to heroin by teaching them how to repair the damage to family wrought by drug abuse, and in spite of it, how to raise strong, resilient children. In a second program, vigilant counselors in Dade County schools watch for kids at risk of becoming drug addicts, and offer immediate counseling for thosewho are already involved with drugs. Nicotine addiction is addressed by a program that provides classes designed to prevent students from smoking, and another that helps them stop if they've already begun to smoke. School officials, counselors, and students are interviewed. 57 min. Video/C 6508

The Politics of Addiction. Bill Moyers looks at Arizona's recent struggle to find an alternative to current drug policies. Proposition 200 proposed a reassessment of the status of nonviolent drug addicts now serving time, and emphasized treatment over incarceration. On the Washington scene members of Congress, doctors, policy activists and recovering people have joined to push for new public policy. 57 min. Video/C 6508

Drunk or Sober

Explores alcoholism in the United States and efforts to treat the addiction and to discover its causes. Includes commentary by alcoholics, families of alcoholics, and members of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and support groups. 1988. 48 min. Video/C MM545

Foo-foo Dust

Explores the relationship between a crack-addicted prostitute and her 23-year old drug addicted son, both living in one room in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. A disturbing and intimate portrait of the destructive power of drug addiction, including a crack-induced fit and near-fatal heroin overdose, as well as a moving, poignant look at the intense love between a mother and her son living on the edge of society. Directors, Gina Levy and Eric Johnson. Dist.: New Day Films. 2003. 37 min. DVD 5560

It Can Happen to Anyone: Problems with Alcohol and Medication Among Older Adults

Alcohol is a part of our social fabric. For many older adults, prescribed medications are also a fact of life. At any stage of life, alcohol and drugs can pose a serious threat to health, happiness and longevity. In this video Ed Asner helps viewers take a candid look at the role alcohol plays in the lives of some older adults. 1996. 26 min. Video/C MM1037

The Red Road to Sobriety

Places the alcohol problems of Native Americans within the context of the historical destruction of indigenous peoples and culture and the stereotype of the drunken Indian. Documents a growing social movement which combines ancient spiritual traditions with modern medical approaches in substance abuse recovery. Directors, Chante Pierce and Gary Rhine. 2005. 90 min. DVD 4982

Description from Berkeley Media catalog

The Meth Epidemic.

Speed. Meth. Glass. On the street, methamphetamine has many names. What started as a fad among motorcycle gangs in the 1970s has become a big business built on ephedrine -- the same chemical used to make over-the-counter cold remedies. Hundreds of illegal meth labs are now operating in the western United States, and the effects are sweeping the nation. From coast to coast, methamphetamine abuse is on the rise, but who's responsible? Is the government doing enough to crack down on this latest drug craze? Frontline investigates America's addiction to meth and exposes the inherent conflict between the illegal drug trade and the legitimate three-billion-dollar cold remedy business. Dist.: PBS. 2006. 60 min. DVD 5411

Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies and Alcohol.

By exploring the college party scene, this documentary shows the difficulties students have in navigating a cultural environment saturated with messages about gender and alcohol. The film steps beyond an analysis of "binge drinking" to focus on techniques that alcohol marketers use to link the product to the fragile gender identities of young men and women, encouraging students to recognized the presence of alcohol propaganda and take back control of their own lives from cynical manipulators. c2004. 45 min. Video/C MM82

Description from Media Education Foundation catalog

Substance Abuse Disorders.(World of Abnormal Psychology; 6)

Focuses on alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine addiction, considers the effects of substance abuse on the individual and society and examines causal factors and treatment approaches. 1992. 60 min. Video/C 4977

This program available for viewing online

Aging and the Aged

Acting our Age

With the assistance of the filmmaker, residents of London residing in a home for South Asian elderly, shoot their own video. They interview a wide range of subjects...from people on the street to members of Parliament. This spirited video reveals generational attitudes, crosscultural values, and everyday problems faced by older, often neglected British citizens. 1993. 29 min. Video/C 3830

Alzheimer's Disease: Interviewing and Assessment Techniques for Social Workers

This videotape illustrates techniques social workers may use in screening older adults for cognitive impairment. MMSE (or the Mini-Mental Status Exam) is used, which assesses orientation, attention, calculation, short-term memory, and language. c1990. 30 min. Video/C 2517

Assisting Families of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: Opportunities for Social Workers in the Hospital Setting

Viewer will see an interview between a social worker and various family members of an Alzheimer's Disease patient. c1990. 20 min. Video/C 2520

Can't Afford to Grow Old

Describes the problems faced by the elderly in obtaining and paying for nursing and health care. Explores who will pay for their care and questions whether as individuals or society we can afford to grow old. 1989. 59 min. Video/C 3339

The Causes and Prevention of Degenerative Diseases Associated with Aging

Scientists are rapidly gaining an understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of aging and the degenerative diseases associated with aging, such as cancer, heart disease, and brain deterioration. Many degenerative diseases appear to be caused in large part by accumulative damage to DNA, the genetic material in cells. This lecture looks at DNA research and its potential to delay or prevent many degenerative diseases. Part of the Wellness lecture series sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, the University of California and Health Net. 1991. 56 min. Video/C 8686

Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter.

Shows interactions between an Alzheimer's patient and her daughter. The daughter discusses how she has dealt with her mother's illness and describes various stages of the disease. A film by Deborah Hoffmann. c1994. 45 min. Video/C 3976

Women Make Movies catalog description

Bergman, T. "Personal narrative, dialogism, and the performance of "truth" in Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." Text and Performance Quarterly, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 20-37, Jan. 2004 UC users only

Goodman, Walter. "P.O.V.: Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (television program reviews) New York Times v144 (Tue, June 6, 1995):B3(N), C16(L), col 3, 13 col in.

Pincus, Elizabeth. "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (video recording reviews) Advocate, n683 (June 13, 1995):60 (2 pages).

Detecting Dementia: Cognitive Assessment for the Home Healthcare Professional.

Conceived and written in collaboration with Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University and Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. Film discusses techniques used to diagnose Dementia, a disease common among the elderly characterized by progressive deterioration of memory, thinking and day to day functioning. 1990. 20 min. Video/C 2389

Extending the Warranty: Organ Replacement, Progress Against Cancer and Alzheimer's Disease(The Health Century; 3).

Centers on the most common diseases of the elderly and reveals current efforts to understand and solve them. c1989. 60 min. Video/C 1589

Family Support Groups: Help for the Families of Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Videotaped family support group gives a better understanding of how people can help each other during these sessions. Shows some of the functions of the group support leader or facilitator. The viewer will also find that even though each member brings his own strengths and experiences, there are common themes and topics which all caregivers will experience. c1990. 20 min. Video/C 2518

Forward in Time: Productive Aging in America

Through interviews with a variety of older Americans in their 60s, 70s and 80s, reflects the majority of active and healthy seniors who utilize productive aging skills and techniques to enjoy a higher quality of life and more creative retirement. 2003. 59 min. DVD 2545

Life Worth Living: An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of the Eden Alternative

Explores components of The Eden Alternative, a new approach developed by Dr. William H. Thomas, which addresses the problem of improving resident quality of life in long term care facilities. This film tours several Eden homes and explores the impact the project has on residents, staff and families. 30 min. Video/C 5926

Living Longer, 1954. (People's Century.)

With the advent and widespread use of penicillin during the Second World War and a greater understanding of microbiology, astonishing advances in Western medicine and public health followed as age-old diseases were systematically tackled in the United States and around the world. Millions hoped that new medical technologies would offer them better health--and longer lives. 1997. 56 min. Video/C 6434

A Matter of Indifference

Presents a critique of society's ambivalence toward the aged. Includes an interview with Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panther movement. 1974. 50 min. Video/C 435

The Mind: Aging

Examines what happens to the brain and mind during the aging process. Explains that aging doesn't necessarily bring mental decline and what role genetic and environmental factors play in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. c1988. 60 min. Video/C 1301:3

My Mother, My Father

Explores the issues involved in caring for elderly parents by focusing on the various ways in which four families are handling the problem. Includes interviews with parents and their families. 33 min. Video/C 2314

Description from Fanlight catalog

My Mother, My Father: Seven Years Later

Revisits each of the four families that were shown providing care for an aging parent in the 1984 production My mother, my father, caring for aging parents. Explores the changes that have taken place over the years in family dynamics and in caregiving needs. 42 min. Video/C 4572

Description from Fanlight catalog

Number Our Days

Interviews conducted by anthropologist Barbara G. Myerhoff to document lives of Jewish senior citizens of Israel Levin Senior Adult Center, Venice, Calif. Based on Myerhoff's books Number our days / (ANTH: F869.V36 M9 1980; MAIN: F869.V36 M9 1980; 1983) Dist.: Direct Cinema. 29 min. Video/C 2150

Our Havens

Documentary film views change in the context of three average middle-class urban Indian families and in particular the plight of the old and alone in the new India. 2002. 30 min. DVD 7042

Physiology of Aging: What it is and What it Could be

(Meredith Morgan Symposium; UC Berkeley). Profssor Timiras lectures on the aging process and gives an historical overview of life expectancy at the turn of the century to the present. Video/C 2264

Secret Life of the Brain: The Aging Brain: Through Many Lives.

resents recent studies which seem to indicate that the normal aging process leaves most mental functions intact, and may even provide the brain with unique advantages that form the basis of wisdom. The aging brain is also far more resilient than previously believed. Explores the latest research in this field through the work of neuroscientist Edward Taub who has developed an innovative form of therapy that helps stroke patients overcome paralysis by reviving damaged brain circuits and Jeffrey Macklis who is trying to decipher the chemical signals that cause new neurons to be born, in hopes of someday replacing those killed by disorders of the aging brain. Dist.: PBS. 2001. 60 min. Video/C 8772

The Silver Age.

Advances in healthcare mean that more people are living longer with over 560 million age 60 and over in the world today. In parts of Europe, North America, and Japan, the proportion of older people is rising faster than any other group. The result, often, is a growing population of old people with too few young people to take care of them. This program explores the implications in three different countries: India, Japan and Tunisia. Video/C 7773

Bullfrog Films catalog description

Sunset Story

Sunset Story is a funny and intimate documentary that will make you think differently about growing old. It tells the story of Irja (81) and Lucille (95), two friends at a rest home for retired radicals. As they attend demonstrations, register their fellow residents to vote and debate everything under the sun, Irja and Lucille's verve and humor delight us. Sunset Story doesn't shy away from the sadness of old age; it reveals two elderly women's lives in an unusually authentic and surprisingly moving way. Director, Laura Gabbert. 2003. 75 min. DVD 4905

Sustaining Community Living Among the Oldest Old: Health and Service Issues

Examines the needs created by the vulnerabilities the very old face and the processes by which these needs are addressed: Through the actions of families and informal social networks, the responses of social service institutions, the role of the health care system and most importantly, the coping skills of the elderly individual. Part of the Wellness lecture series sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation, the University of California and Health Net. 1992. 40 min. Video/C 8694

"Thicker than Water": Social Work and Family Concerns for Alzheimer's Patients

Families visiting relatives who have Alzheimer's Disease may become emotional even under the best of nursing home settings. This video demonstrates the systematic interaction of a social worker in a nursing home setting and a visiting family member who is distraught. Dist.: Terra Nova Films. 1990. 15 min. Video/C 2519

White House Conference on Aging, May 2-5, 1995

Day 1: Speak out -- Day 2: Opening ceremonies -- Day 3: First Lady's forum -- Day 4: Closing sessions, Speak out, Resolution vote. Hillary Clinton. Brief excerpts of speeches given by a variety of individuals at the White House Conference on Aging. 27 min. VIDEO/C 4535

Alternative Medicine

The Alternative Fix

Frontline examines the controversy over complementary and alternative medical treatments through interviews with staunch supporters, skeptical scientists and observers on both sides of the debate. These popular treatments are facing increased scrutiny as the first real studies of their effectiveness are published. Originally broadcast November 6, 2003 as a segment of the television program Frontline. Dist.: PBS. 60 min. DVD 3619

Alternative Medicine

Alternative, or complementary, health systems are gradually being integrated into American culture and can now be found in many American physicians' offices. This program provides an overview of Chinese medicine, ayurvedic, homeopathy, herbalism, naturopathy, osteopathy, massage, and chiropractic. Observes patients who are using one or more of these therapies in their health care and speaks with several experts. Originally broadcast in 1995 as a segment of: The Doctor Is In. Dist.: Films Media Group. 29 min. Video/C 6817

Chinese Healing

The Chinese look upon the body as an interactive energy system in which life energy -"chi"- flows along bodily meridians. In this program, the therapeutic value of acupuncture, massage, cupping, and chi kung is examined, along with preventive measures for replenishing chi, balancing yin and yang, and promoting harmony of body, mind, and spirit. Traditional Chinese Medicine is thousands of years old but its holistic approaches and almost mystical nature have left Western medical practitioners feeling skeptical, despite sometimes astonishing results. Fortunately, as the dialogue between East and West evolves, both are integrating the methods of the other for the overall improvement of health around the world. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1997. 45 min. Video/C 6815

Eduardo the Healer

Presents the life and philosophy of Eduardo Calderon, a Peruvian folk healer. Includes his methods of diagnosis and a curing ceremony. 1978. 54 min. Video/C 7666

The Healer in the Indigenous Communities of the Highlands of Chiapas (El curandero en los pueblos indigenas de los altos de Chiapas)

A documentary of how a Mayan healer is called upon by people in the community to cure the sick. The healer reveals his Mayan healing practices--a combination of indigenous rituals and Christianity. c2000. 34 min. Video/C MM850

Healers of Ghana.

Explores the traditional medical practices of the Bono people of central Ghana and how their healers are accommodating the conflict between the arrival of Western medicine and their religious beliefs. Traditionally, Bono tribal priests undergo a painful spiritual possession, during which deities reveal to them the causes of illnesses, which plants to use to treat them, who is perpetrating witchcraft, and which villagers might be endangering society through improper behavior. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1993. 58 min. Video/C 5002

Healing and the Mind

5-part series hosted by Bill Moyers in which he investigates alternative medicine through visits with physicians, scientists, therapists and patients around the world, examining the healing connection between mind and body. Dist.: Ambrose Video. c1993. 58 min. each installment.

Vol 1: The Mystery of Chi. Moyers along with guide David Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School explores traditional Chinese medicine and its approach to healing through "Chi." Video/C 9713

Vol 2: The Mind Body Connection. Moyers talks with scientists and doctors who are on the frontier of mind-body research. Through careful research to understand how thoughts, emotions, and even personalities can effect physical health, they are gaining new insights into how the nervous and immune systems are linked and the role of emotions in health. Video/C 9714

Vol 3: Healing from Within. Examines two therapies that involve neither drugs nor surgery. One is a form of Buddhist meditation; the other, group psychotherapy. Both teach patients to use their minds to improve the healing capacities within their bodies. Video/C 9715

Vol 4: The Art of Healing. Looks at health care professionals who are employing models of medical care based on the idea that emotional states play an important role in people's vulnerability to disease and a patient's recovery. Also examines the importance of emotional and cultural issues in medical practice with Hispanic Americans. Video/C 9716

Vol 5: Wounded Healers. Highlights a visit to Commonweal, a retreat for people with cancer. The program follows a group of people over the course of a week as they learn to live with cancer. By listening, supporting, and encouraging each other, they recognize one another's unique experience of illness. Video/C 9717

The Jungle Pharmacy

Do the world's rainforests contain a cure for cancer and AIDS? This intriguing program travels to Jakarta, Surabaya, and the jungles of Kalimantan to investigate the preparation and use of natural remedies to combat illnesses such as skin fungus, malaria and even AIDS. But logging continues unabated in Indonesia and other tropic zones. Will the jungle pharmacy disappear before it can be understood? 1992. 26 min. Video/C 6816

Magic or Medicine?: Encounters of a Healing Kind

In this program, Dr. Robert Buckman discusses the differences between conventional medicine and representative forms of alternative medicine while pointing out the similarities behind all forms of medical treatment. A conventional medical doctor, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, a homeopathic physician, a holistic general practitioner, a Rolfing specialist, an iridologist, a healer trained in the Hawaiian belief system of Huna, and a "bonesetter" in the Kalevalan folk tradition are filmed while consulting, diagnosing, and treating their patients. Navajo and curanderismo healing ceremonies are also presented. Dist.: Films Media Group. c2001. 52 min. Video/C 9773

Medicine Made By God: The spiritual & Herbal Gealing Ministry of Brother Anatoli Wasswa

After twenty five years as an educator in Uganda, Brother Anatoli Wasswa began to devote himself to the study, research, and practice of using traditional medicine to lead Ugandans out of dependency on witchcraft and to accept natural cures for all kinds of illnesses and problems. He calls this "Medicine made by God." Wassawa is one of the leading authorities on herbal medicine on the African continent. Slowly through his radio programmes and his thirteen clinics, despite the opposition of witchdoctors, people have come to trust in the power of his spiritual and herbal healing now known all over Uganda, Africa, and Europe. 1996. 41 min. Video/C MM1122

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest.

Presentations from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994.

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 1: ACEER Useful Plant Trail Guide. A tour of the Useful Plant Trail of the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research situated in the Peruvian rain forest. On average, nearly 300 species of woody plants per hectare have been found to grow here. Shaman Don Antonio Montero hosts the tour and describes the properties of 45 trees and plants, not only those useful to the people of Amazonia but some that provide chemicals or products used in countries around the world. Sponsored by the American Botanical Council, Texas Pharmacy Foundation, and International Expeditions. 28 min. Video/C 7872

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 2: Plant Drugs, Healing Herbs and Phytomedicals. Keynote address from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994. Dr. Varro E. Tyler gives the opening presentation at this first ever conference to bring traditional medicinal plant healers and Western pharmaceutical professionals together to explore the uses of medicinal plants from the tropical rain forests of Peru. 1994. 34 min. Video/C 7873

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 3: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Application of Plant Drugs. A presentation from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994. Dr. Varro E. Tyler explores five significant categories of plant drugs including antineoplastic agents, antiprotozoal drugs, cardiovascular drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs and possible immunostimulants. These and other natural products have served as prototypes for synthetic and semi-synthetic medicinals. 1994. 81 min. Video/C 7873

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 4: Nutrition and the Amazon Food Pharmacy. This program focuses on foods that are derived from tropical sources and the multiple health benefits they provide. Dr. James Duke traces the origins of introduced and native tropical "food farmaceuticals" that can be and have been utilized in preventitive pharmacy as well as an adjunct to therapeutic drug pharmacology. 1994. 47 min. Video/c 7875

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 5: Tropical Medicine in the Rainforest Dr. Linnea Smith of La Clinica Yanamono located on the banks of the Amazon River 50 miles from Iquitos, shares her experiences in providing healthcare in the Amazon where Western medicine is usually unavailable. She gives insights into how the cultural and religious needs of the people bring a new dimension to treatment and preventitive care. Adapative approaches of a medical practice in the Amazon as well as the problems, advantages and revelations of bringing Western-style medical care to this remote region are discussed. 1994. 25 min. Video/C 7876

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 6: Ethnomedical Field Research in the Amazon. Provides insights into the current methodology of ethnomedical field research as related to the success of programs associated with the search for new medicines from phytopharmaceuticals. Presents the challenges of drug discovery strategies as related to research among the Jivaro Amerindians of the western Amazon and gives some examples of uses of medicinal plants including obstetrical use by Amazonian Jivaro women, as well as the use of plant alkaloids in treating wounds. 1994. 57 min. Video/C 7877

Plant Wars

Dist.: Films Media Group. 2006. 52-53 min. each installment.

A Treasury of Plants. While acknowledging the achievements of the pharmaceutical industry, this program offers an alternative perspective on the production of medicines, emphasizing the use of plants and herbs instead of synthetic compounds. Beginning with a historical overview of plant remedies -- including evidence of sophisticated herbalism in ancient civilizations -- the film describes how pharmacology evolved out of traditional herbal medicine. It also explores new pharmaceutical research that has come full circle, returning to the use of natural plant extracts. The development of anti-cancer medicine derived from periwinkle is one of many examples. DVD 5733

The Shamans of the Future, or the New Alliance. This program identifies new ways for pharmaceutical companies to operate globally, promoting increased cooperation with local producers of traditional, plant-based medicines. Recognizing the worldwide demand for alternative medicine may create new producer countries, the program visits centers of herbology and other non-Western healing methods in China, Vietnam, Bhutan, Senegl, and Kenya. The documented ability of these facilities to fight AIDS and other diseases forms a powerful argument for the coexistence of both corporate and traditional industries. DVD 5734

Whose Plants Are They, Anyway? Surveying the vast biodiversity of the medicinal plant world, this program examines the challenges facing countries rich in such natural resources. Presents interviews with numerous alternative health experts, documenting their knowledge in a wide range of herbal and plant-based treatments. It also studies controversies surrounding the patenting of organisms with medicinal potential, such a Peru's maca root -- a clear demonstration that the interests of powerful pharmaceutical companies don't always suit those of indigenous peoples. DVD 5735

Pomo Shaman.

Rare record of the second and final night of a shamanistic curing ceremony among the Kashia group of Southwestern Pomo Indians. The Indian "sucking doctor" is a prophet of the Bole Maru religion and the spiritual head of the community. 20 min. Video/C 2428

Shamans of Siquijor: The Healers

Profiles three healers on Siquijor Island, Philippines, who cure illnesses using herbs, incantations, a magical prayer wheel, and other means. Is folk healing still valuable for the social and spiritual life of the community or just a dying relic of old traditions? c2004. 27 min. DVD 6672

Western Medicine Meets the East

Examines the use of acupuncture and other traditional Eastern medical techniques as an anesthetic during surgery and as treatment for various ailments such as arthritis and back pain. Originally presented in 1988 as a segment on the television series Innovation. 26 min. Video/C 9774

Biotechnology/Reproductive Technologies

The Big If: Interferon.

Interferon is a body-produced substance that is a promising cancer drug. Previously expensive and in short supply, manufactured Interferon is shown being tested and administered to patients with advanced cancers. 3/4" UMATIC. (NRLF#: B 969 318) 50 min. Video/C 549

The Biological Revolution: 100 Years of Science at Cold Spring Harbor(1986).

Explores the origins of the biotechnology revolution through the perspective of the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island and gives an up-close look at how new techniques to manipulate the genetic code are being employed against cancer and world hunger. 60 min. Video/C 2387

Biotechnology in Society Lecture Series

Sponsored by Genetech, Inc., GTE Foundation, UC Systemwide Biotechnology Research and Education Program, 1993.

Human Genetics in American Popular Culture. Dorothy Nelkin discusses how current perceptions of genetics in American society influences policy making in response to technological change. Lecture held January 7, 1993 at University of California, San Francisco. 63 min. Video/C 2975

The Commercialization of Academic Biology. Charles Weiner Reviews the role genetic researchers and academics play in the development of new biotechnology industries. 50 min. Video/C 2976

From Eugenics to Human Genetics (and Back) Diane Paul Reviews the history and philosophies undergirding eugenics, human genetics and genetic engineering. 50 min. Video/C 2977

The Routinization of Medical Innovations: Bioscience and Bioethics in MSAFP Screening Nancy Press discusses the significance to society of the development of the MSAFP screening test used to identify abnormalities in the fetus. 52 min. Video/C 2978

Plants, Powers, and Profits: Social, Economic, and Ethical Consequences of the New Agricultural Biotechnologies Lawrence Busch discusses recent agricultural research and the development of new agricultural biotechnologies and the impact of their applications upon society. 50 min. Video/C 2979

Genetic Testing, the Social Milieu, and the Leap from Genes to Behavior Troy Duster discusses the social implications of the newly emerging "human geo-technologies". 63 min. Video/C 2980

Looking Back at Monoclonal Antibodies: An Ethnographic Account Alberto Cambrosio discusses the development of new biotechnologies and their applications which have resulted from the discovery of monoclonal antibodies. 63 min. Video/C 2981

Genomic Networks: A Sociology of the Human Genome Initiative Stephen Hilgartner discusses how knowledge concerning genomes is achieved and organized with a view to creating a viable infrastructure for the developing biotechnologies of the future. 63 min. Video/C 2982

New Wine in Old Bottles: A Comparative Review of Biotechnology Regulation Sheila Jasanoff discusses evolution of relations between science, technology and regulatory agencies. Film includes the current political situation and the regulation of new biotechnological innovations. Lecture held March 4, 1993 at University of California, San Francisco. 53 min. Video/C 2983

Rethinking the Meaning of Genetic Determinism Evelyn Fox Keller. Lecture held March 11, 1993 at University of California, San Francisco. 61 min. Video/C 2984

Bloodlines: Technology Hits Home

Offering hope to infertile couples; curing disease by mixing human and animal cells; assessing risk with genetic testing. Over the past few decades the public has become increasingly comfortable with a growing menu of reproductive and genetic medical procedures. This documentary assesses how new life technologies are raising ethical, legal and social dilemmas as cutting-edge science intersects with the law. Written, produced and directed by Noel Schwerin. Premiere broadcast on PBS June 10th, 2003. 60 min. Video/C MM1162

Children by Design (Secret of Life; 7).

A couple has one child with cystic fibrosis. Determined that their next child will be free of the CF gene, they join in an experiment in which the fertilized eggis tested and possibly rejected. Other parents decide that their child will be the first to receive gene therapy. These are just a few of theextraordinary choices created by the current state of genetic engineering. 60 min. Video/C 3161

DNA and Dollars

Viewers are taken behind the scenes in clinics and laboratories to meet some of the major players in genetic research and into the homes of patients who have donated their DNA in the hope of finding treatments or cures for diseases. In the midst of this hope, nagging questions remain as to the ownership and patenting of human genetic materials. The biotech industry rightly claims that it takes a decade or more and millions of dollars to get a discovery from the lab bench to the drugstore shelf. But the public concerns about the manipulation and commercialization of human genes, cloning, genetic privacy seem to be lost as science marches onwards. Directed by David Maltby. Dist: National Film Board of Canada. 2002. 48 min. Video/C MM933

18 Ways to Make a Baby(NOVA)

Presents an in-depth look at scientific breakthroughs in reproductive science, including "cytoplasmic transfer, "in vitro fertilization, and the impact on human lives of revolutionary scientific breakthroughs in human reproduction presented by doctors and biologists on the leading edge. Also looks into a future where parents might one day be able to design their child for its sex and other traits. c2001. 56 min. Video/C MM35

Gene Blues: Dilemmas of DNA Testing

As geneticists unlock the DNA code, genetic engineering increasingly holds promise for alleviating human suffering, but what are the risks? This program looks at some problem areas: loss of privacy unless access to personal genetic information is protected; discrimination in employment and insurance based on genetic tests; and loss of respect for people with disabilities as the public comes to view inherited conditions as "avoidable" and some call for restricting reproductive rights. What are the ramifications of gene technology and to what extent should human beings intervene in the basic workings of nature? 31 min. 1997. Video/C 7269

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

The Gene Engineers (Nova).

Examines the social aspects of genetic engineering. 57 min. Video/C 16

The Genetic Gamble (Nova ).

Examines current research and prospects for the future of the controversial gene therapy. Medical scientists describe the need for gene therapy in treating patients suffering from various diseases caused by genetic disorders. Also explores the legal ramifications of genetic engineering. 58 min. Video/C 1026

Genetic Testing, the Social Milieu, and the Leap from Genes to Behavior. (Biotech lecture; 6).

Troy Duster discusses the social implications of the newly emerging "human geo-technologies". Symposium held Feb. 11, 1993, UC San Francisco; sponsored by Genentec, Inc. 63 min. Video/C 2980

High-tech Babies (Nova).

This program discusses the triumphs, problems, and controversies surrounding the new technology of childbearing. 60 min. Video/C 1029

A History of Gene Therapy

Although somatic gene therapy is still in its infancy, its enormous potential is already visible. This program combines case studies involving AIDS, heart disease, ADA deficiency, and canavan disease and interviews with doctors and researchers from facilities such as the Universities of Southern California and Pennsylvania to outline the history of genetic science. But the ability to manipulate and alter the most basic building blocks of life brings ethical, legal, and social dilemmas as well. Genetic screening and profiling, germ-line gene therapy and eugenics are addressed. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2004. 46 min. DVD 5720

Life, Patent Pending (Nova ).

Presents breakthroughs in gene engineering, along with how scientists go about creating new forms of life, and how the impact of the gene bonanza affects industry, medicine, and the scientific community. 57 min. Video/C 911

Life Running Out of Control

A global journey exploring the effects of the ongoing experiments in the genetic manipulation of plants, animals and human beings, and unethical uses of genetic studies. A film by Bertram Verhaag and Gabriele Krober. 2004. Includes both the original 95-minute, and the short 60-minute versions of the film, and 77 minutes of additional interviews broken up into separate sections on plants, animals and humans. DVD 4676

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

Life Running Out of Control: Designer Babies and Gene Robbery

Explores the possibility and other frightening implications of market-driven genetic engineering. Showing how the government-funded Human Genome Project has become highly lucrative for pharmaceutical companies, the film examines the cases of exploitative gene harvesting in Iceland and Peru. Interviews with prominent scientists and activists highlight the dangers of patenting genetic data and an absence of public discourse about artifical gene selection. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2004. 59 min. DVD 5037

Molecular Miracles: Human Gene Therapy and the Future of Modern Medicine

On September 14, 1990, a four year old girl who was suffering from a debilitating immune disease became the first human to receive gene therapy. Leading researchers describe the day and the consequences it has had for physicians using this new science to diagnose and treat many fatal genetic disorders. Dist.: Films Media Group. c1993. 47 min. Video/C MM1047

The Mouse that Laid the Golden Egg (Secret of Life ; 6).

What happens when science meets the marketplace, when life itself bceomes a commodity? Film examines the promises and dangers of industrial genetic manipulation, and the interaction of science with the marketplace. Dist.: Films Media Group. c1993. 60 min. Video/C 3160

On the Eighth Day: Perfecting Mother Nature.

A 2-part film about new reproductive and genetic technologies which poses disturbing questions about why these technologies are being developed and how they may affect the lives of women and society as a whole. Part 1 explores the origins and applications of in vitro fertilization. Part 2 is a critical examination of the application of genetic technology and the social and economic pressures which may influence the develoment and use of these procedures. Explores the social impact of the desire to produce perfect human beings on children, women, and the disabled. 102 min. Video/C 3365

Women Make Movies catalog description

Our Genes, Our Choices (Fred Friendly Seminars)

c2003.

Who Gets to Know? When it comes to genetic testing, how much should a patient be told? If the news is bad, who else should the patient inform? And could - or should - such privileged information be made available to employers, insurance companies, and others? This seminar moderated by Harvard Law School's Arthur Miller offers a compelling discourse on the far-reaching ethical, social, legal, and economic implications of genetic testing. 57 min. DVD 8857

Making Better Babies: Genetics and Reproduction How far should people be allowed to go in trying to have better babies? And whose definition of "better" should prevail? This seminar moderated by Dateline NBC correspondent John Hockenberry considers the ethical dilemmas facing individuals and society that grow out of prenatal testing and genetic options that may be available in the future -- such as cloning. 57 min. DVD 8858

Genes on Trial Genetics, Behavior, and the Law Could genetic research stigmatize people who carry a "bad" gene? Could the behavior actually be determined by that gene? If so, then just how free is free will? Moderated by Harvard Law School's Charles Ogletree, this seminar scrutinizes social, ethical, and legal issues involving genetic research into undesirable traits such as addiction to alcohol by exploring the relationship between the genetic basis for addiction and the limits of personal responsibility. 57 min. DVD 8859

A Question of Genes: Inherited Risks

Explores the ethical, moral and medical implications of the powerful new technology of genetic testing as it follows the personal journey of seven individuals and families who discover potential inherited genetic weaknesses. 116 mion. Video/C 6120

The Routinization of Medical Innovations: Bioscience and Bioethics in MSAFP Screening.

Biotech lecture; 4. Nancy Press discusses the significance to society of the development of the MSAFP screening test used to identify abnormalities in the fetus. Symposium held at UC San Francisco, Jan. 28, 1993; sponsored by Genentec, Inc. 52 min. Video/C 2978

Stem Cell and Other Medical Research

Creation

Presents the latest advances in cloning, stem cell development, and genetic science. Includes an overview of the cloning research of Jose Cibelli, head of research at Advanced Cell Technology, which led to the first artificially cloned embryo are paralleled with the incredible feat of genetic replication as it occurs naturally in the womb. Commenting on how these innovations have already dramatically changed human life are Professor Lee Silver, molecular biologist at Princeton University, and Nobel Prize-winning cell biologist Sir Paul Nurse. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2002. 50 min. DVD 7981

Embryonic Stem Cell Tests

Susan Dentzer studies two new techniques for creating stem cells and the ethical and religious concerns surrounding them. Originally broadcast as segments of: The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. DVD 8860

Fetal Fix: Stem Cell Research and Moral Conflict

In the expanding world of biotechnology, cells taken from aborted fetuses are seen as a promising resource for developing a variety of medical cures, although their use has sparked intense controversy. This program examines stem cell and fetal tissue research programs in the United States, Japan, and China and highlights the ethical concerns that surround these projects. Explaining why stem cells cultivated from embryonic or fetal tissue are useful for transplant work and for developing treatments for Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, and other medical problems, the program explores a new dimension in the battle over the sanctity, and value of human life. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2006. 53 min. DVD 7980

Rebuilding the Brain: Adult Brain Stem Cells

In this program Dr. Perry Bartlett of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research discusses the benefits of his pioneering research with adult brain stem cells. Dr. Bartlett gives detailed information on the different types of stem cells, the current research being conducted with them, and the future benefits they will have in rebuilding neural tissue in people with brain injuries and brain diseases. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2002. 21 min. DVD 7979

Terra Incognita: Mapping Stem Cell Research

Puts a human face on the stem cell debate by following the work of Dr. Kessler of Northwestern University, a renowned expert in the field of stem cell research, as he searches for a cure to spinal cord injuries, and the breakthrough that will allow his injured daughter to walk again. Director, Maria Finitzo. Dist. Cinema Guild.c2007. 90 min. DVD 8707

Weighing the Decision: Ethics and Science of Stem Cell Research

On August 9, 2001, President George W. Bush announced his support for federal funding of limited embryonic stem cell research. This NewsHour program offers a revealing snapshot of that historic intersection between science and public policy. Bush's comments are followed by a panel discussion by ethicists and researchers expressing their views on the President's decisions--including University of Chicago professor Leon Kass, who soon became chair of the President's Council on Bioethics; Dr. Diane Krause, a stem cell researcher and Yale School of Medicine professor; Robin Alta Charo, a University of Wisconsin professor of law and bioethics; and Richard Doerflinger, Deputy Director of Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Originally broadcast on News hour with Jim Lehrer, August 9, 2001. Dist.: Films Media Group. 27 min. DVD 8887

Death and Dying

Death: A Love Story

A thought provoking portrait of the greatest challenge we must all one day face. Married to Michelle LeBrun for only two years, actor Mel Howard was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Howard at first rejected traditional cancer treatments in favor of alternative therapy, and then embraced chemotherapy and liver transplants as last-ditch attempts to save his life. The film's ultimate focus is on Howard's spiritual progression as he adjusts to the notion of his passing. 1999. 63 min. DVD 3114

Death and Dying: A Conversation with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D.

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discusses her work and philosophy in the care of dying patients and their families. 30 min. Video/C 85

Death on Request.

This documentary records Cees de Joode as he, his wife Antoinette, and his doctor choose euthanasia to end his suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-- the incurable degenerative muscle disease also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. A film by Maarten Nederhorst 1994. 57 min. Video/C 6776

Description from Fanlight catalog

Dying

A personal, profound and poignant memoir of three people with terminal cancer and how they faced their deaths. One returns home to her elderly mother to die and they grow closer in their shared grief; the second is a husband with a wife and two children who is stoic about his death while his wife rages aginst his fate; the third is a preacher who accepts his fate and returns to the South, enjoying the time he has left with his family. Filmed over a two year period, the film highlights how each human being lives and dies as an individual, with deep personal needs and attitudes. Produced and directed by Michael Roemer. [1996?] 82 min. Video/C 9276

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: Facing Death

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross who has devoted her life to the study of death and dying, has done much to de-stigmatize dying and to draw attention to the treatment of the terminally ill. Now she lives in seclusion in the Arizona desert, on the verge of the transition she researched so passionately. Conversations with Elisabeth form the core of the film as she looks back on her life, describes her childhood and her work and explains how she herself faces aging and impending death. Includes interviews with family and colleagues, as well as extensive archival material. 2002. 57 min. Video/C 9718

Description from First Run/Icarus Catalog

The End

This profoundly moving chronicle examines terminal illness through the darkly fascinating lens of family dynamics. The loved ones of five different hospice patients in Los Angeles document their experiences, creating video diaries that are part case study, part family album. Director, Kirby Dick. 2003. 85 min. DVD 3706

End of Life Care: Ethical Dimensions

Provides nurses and other health care professionals with practical information concerning end-of-life issues that can be applied in daily medical practice. 34 min. Video/C 5985

Euthanasia, Murder or Mercy?

Presents the various ethical, legal, medical, and sociological aspects of active voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill from a pro-euthanasia viewpoint. Videotaped at the Hemlock Society's Second National Voluntary Euthanasia Conference. c1985. 30 min. Video/C 9991

The Hospice.

This film explores the work of a hospice in Zambia, a country on the front line in the world fight against HIV/AIDS. In Zambia, where one in five of the population are HIV-positive (most under 40 years old), all of the eleven million population has been touched by HIV/AIDS in some way. The Mother of Mercy Hospice on the edge of the capital, Lusaka, was the first of its kind in Zambia. It has just 22 beds and was founded by an inspiring woman of extraordinary courage, a Polish nun called Sister Leonia. The film follows the work of the staff and volunteers both at the hospice and in the local villages and communities. The courage of patients, the resilience and despair of the staff and the dignity of how they all deal with the almost daily ritual of death makes this film an extraordinary account of the human face of AIDS in modern Africa. Directed by Kasper Blagaard. c2004. 23 min. DVD 3977

Description from Bullfrog Films Catalog

Letting Go: A Hospice Journey

Shows how hospice can provide an opportunity to find comfort, companionship, and peace before death for terminally ill patients and their families. Follows the cases of three persons showing how hospice care helps them cope with fear and pain in the final stages of their lives, and prepares their loved ones for their imminent loss. The program also sheds light on the decision-making process of the doctors, nurses, chaplains, social workers, and volunteers involved in the hospice. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1998. 90 min. DVD 3138

On Our Own Terms

Host, Bill Moyers. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2000. 90 minutes each segment.

On Our Own Terms: Living with Dying. Death, which sooner or later comes to all, is treated as a strangely taboo subject in America. In this program, Bill Moyers describes the search for new ways of thinking--and talking--about dying. Forgoing the usual reluctance that most Americans show toward speaking about death, patients and medical professionals alike come forward to examine the end of life with honesty, courage, and even humor, demonstrating that dying can be an incredibly rich experience for both the terminally ill and their loved ones. 2000. 90 min. Video/C 8420

On Our Own Terms: A Different Kind of Care. At the end of life, what many Americans want is physical and spiritual comfort in a home setting. Bill Moyers presents the important strides being made in the area of palliative care at pioneering institutions such as New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. These advances are bringing peace to those who fear that they will be a burden to loved ones, will suffer needlessly, or will be abandoned in their hour of greatest need. 2000. 90 min. Video/C 8421

On Our Own Terms: A Death of One's Own. More and more Americans are looking for opportunities to exert some measure of control over where and how they die. In this program, Bill Moyers unravels the complexities underlying the many choices at the end of life, including the bitter debate over physician-assisted suicide. Three patients, their families and their doctors discuss some of the hardest decisions, including how to pay for care, what constitutes humane treatment, and how to balance dying and dignity. In the end, do these patients die the way they wanted? Yes...and no. 2000. 90 min. Video/C 8422

On Our Own Terms: A Time to Change. Whether they want to or not, four out of five Americans will likely die in hospitals or nursing homes and the care they get will depend on who is footing the bill. Bill Moyers introduces crusading medical professionals--including staff members of the Balm of Gilead Project in Brimingham, Alabama--who have dedicated themselves to improving end-of-life care by changing America's overburdened health system. 2000. 90 min. Video/C 8423

Seeing the Difference: An Interdisciplinary Discussion of Death and Dying

Selected presentations and discussions from a two day institute with clinicians joined by artists and humanists in a discussion of what it means to die in American in the twenty-first century.

Seeing death and being seen / Jim Goldberg -- When death becomes plausible / Sandra Gilbert -- Acknowledging / Jodi Halpern, Patricia Benner, Elizabeth Davies, John Gillis, Thomas Cole -- When is death? / Guy Micco -- Altered states : conceptions of dying in a technological age: I. Expectations and reality in "triumph over nature" / Debu Tripathy. II. Accepting the natural / Lawrence Schneiderman -- Knowing / Frank Gonzalez-Crussi, Michael Whitmore -- Closing the door / Madelon Sprengnether, Sandra Gilbert. Held at the University of California, June 1-2, 2000. Berkeley, CA: Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, [1995]. 46 min. Video/C 8747

Seeing the Difference web site (Townsend Center)

The Self-made Man

Bob Stern, 77, discovers he is seriously ill, possibly dying. Thinking of an in-law on life-support, Bob decides to take his own life to avoid that end. His family tries to stop him. Bob sets up a video camera and tapes his arguments for suicide. Daughter Susan Stern tells the story of her father's interesting life and talks about difficult end-of-life choices. Filmed in 2004, PBS national broadcast, P.O.V. July 26, 2005. A film by Susan Stern. Dist.: New Day Films. 64 min. DVD 4509

The Vanishing Line

Film follows physician/filmmaker Maren Monsen and hospice social worker Jim Brigham as they visit some of his terminally ill clients. All are laying the groundwork for their imminent deaths, negotiating in advance whether or not they want to be resuscitated, what comfort measures will be taken, and whether to go to a hospital or die at home. Brigham shares the storyof his wife Cay's prolonged death from multiple sclerosis and explains how that experience affected the way he views the end of life. Physician Monsen explores how to meet the needs of the dying and their families and looks at the choices involved in treating what has no cure with the right balance of technology, compassion and care. 1997. 52 min. Video/C 5520

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

The Way We Die: Listening to the Terminally Ill.

Through interviews with doctors, patients, and family members, and through filmed interactions between medical personnel and their terminally ill patients, this video addresses a pervasive problem in healthcare today: the excessive and restrictive focus on treating diseases, not people. It makes a case that physicians and nurses must be trained to treat the whole patient, and encourages health care professionals to work with their patients to devise treatment plans in accordance with their needs, values, and wishes. 25 min. Video/C 4570

Description from Fanlight catalog

To Live Until You Die: The Work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

An intimate portrait of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross working with the terminally ill in which she discusses her experiences in helping patients to face death without fear, and stresses the importance of communication which recognizes the patient's feelings. 1983. 57 min. Video/C 9928

Disease / Disease Control

AIDS

The Addicted Brain.

Shows how the human brain manufactures and uses drugs. Explores the cutting edge of developments in the biochemistry of addiction and addictive behavior. Dist.: Films Media Group. c1987. 26 min. Video/C 1189

The Brain-body Connection

Three segments in a television program of Exploring your brain, present the latest research on the link between depression and disease, the brain's role in athletic performance, and the treatment of chronic pain. Covers such topics as the relationship between depression and platelet clotting, how synapses are hardwired, and the development of a drug to block the encoding of pain memories. Contents: Depression and disease / Eileen Dzik (20 min.) -- Sports and the brain / Tracy Day (16 min.) -- Chronic pain / Noel Gunther (20 min.). Dist.: Films Media Group. 2000. 56 min. DVD 7141

Cancer in Two Voices.

This film provides a glimpse into the real lives of two lesbian women, Sandy and Barbara, especially into their coping with Barbara's breast cancer. Sandy and Barbara had almost three years together from the time Barbara's cancer was diagnosed until her death in 1988. The film is based on home videotapes made during that time. A film by Lucy Massie Phenix based on original videotapes by Ann Hershey. 1994. 43 min. Video/C 4002

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

Cell Wars (Secret of Life ; 5).

Describes the study on the molecular level of parasites and microbes that challenge the human immune system, and the possiblity of eventually preventing diseases like multiple sclerosis and AIDS. 60 min. Video/C 3159

Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter.

Shows interactions between an Alzheimer's patient and her daughter. The daughter discusses how she has dealt with her mother's illness and describes various stages of the disease. c1994. 45 min. Video/C 3976

Women Make Movies catalog description

Goodman, Walter. "P.O.V.: Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (television program reviews) New York Times v144 (Tue, June 6, 1995):B3(N), C16(L), col 3, 13 col in.

Pincus, Elizabeth. "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (video recording reviews) Advocate, n683 (June 13, 1995):60 (2 pages).

Conquering Cancer (Secret of Life; 4).

As scientists are learning that cancer is a disease of the genes, they are beginning to formulate genetic cures. Film describes the discovery of genetic links to cancer, and new cancer therapies. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1993. 60 min. Video/C 3158

Defusing Cancer's Time Bombs

A documentary about the environment and cancer sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Public Broadcasting Co. 1978. 30 min. 3/4" UMATIC Video/C 214

A Healthy Baby Girl.

A film by Judith Helfand. Presents the filmmaker's experience of coping with her own hysterectomy at twenty five for cancer caused by her mother's use of D.E.S., a synthetic hormone administered to prevent miscarriage. Producer and director, Judith Helfand. 57 min. Video/C 5015

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

James, Caryn. "A Healthy Baby Girl." (television program reviews) New York Times v146 (Mon, June 16, 1997):B2(N), C14(L), col 3, 22 col in.

Heart Disease: Some New Thoughts About Prevention

(Meredith Morgan Symposium; UC Berkeley). Professor Syme discusses preventative maintenance for a healthy heart. Details are given on a large scale research project that involved studying 6500 men who were considered high-risk factors. Video/C 2265

Influenza, 1918

In the spring of 1918, an army private reported to a hospital in Kansas. He was diagnosed with the flu, an illness that doctors knew little about. As the flu spread people turned in desperation to folk remedies while frantic officials closed schools, factories and churches, and everyone was required to wear a mask. But the flu was unstoppable and by the end of WWI 675,000 people had died. Drawing on archival photographs, film footage and interviews with survivors and medical historians, tells the powerful story of America's worst health crisis. Originally broadcast as a segment on the television program American Experience in 1998. Dist.: PBS. 60 min. DVD 5578

A Paralyzing Fear: The Story of Polio in America

A documentary tracing the full circle of the battle against polio from illness to epidemic to cure. The arrival of polio to American shores in 1916 marked the beginning of long "polio summers" that infected and crippled thousands of children each year. Finally, after a long, grassroots fight against the disease, Dr. Salk's vaccine brought the epidemic to a halt. Director/writer, Nina Gilden Seavey. Dist.: PBS. 1997. 89 min. Video/C 6647

Patient to Patient: Cancer Clinical Trials and You.

Patients who have participated in a clinical trial talk about their experiences and address many common concerns of patients considering a clinical trial, such as risks, benefits, eligibility, enrollment and costs. 15 min. {1999?). Stored at: NRLF #: $B 216 159 [VIDEO/C 6612]

Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer /

Directed and edited by Allie Light and Irving Saraf. Rachel's Daughters, the first feature length film to be made about the causes of breast cancer, is an investigative documentary with a difference. Eight women living with breast cancer act as detectives, traveling across the country interviewing scientists and researchers about the possible causes of the disease. These interviews are woven together with historical footage, short dramatizations and emotional visualizations, creating an engaging detective story. 1997. 107 min. Video/C 5384

Women Make Movies catalog description

Gross, Liza. "Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer." (video recording reviews)Sierra v83, n1 (Jan-Feb, 1998):111 (2 pages).

Kolata, Gina. "Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer." (television reviews) New York Times v147 (Wed, Oct 1, 1997):B5(N), E1(L), col 1, 12 col in.

Wilcox, Carolyn. "Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer." (video recording reviews)Library Journal v123, n13 (August, 1998):150.

Rx for Survival

Dist.: PBS. c2005. 112 min. each installment DVD 4776

Disease warriors: Chronicles the groundbreaking work of early researchers, such as Louis Pasteur, who unmasked germs as the source of illness. Today, vaccines have made huge strides against epidemics, conquering smallpox and bringing global eradication of polio within reach. But the world still faces major challenges in getting basic vaccines to those who still need them, and in creating new ones to combat modern nemeses, like AIDS.

Rise of the Superbugs: Looks at the discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin and the subsequent development of more "wonder drugs." Also looks at the growing threat posed by new strains of germs, such as tuberculosis and staph, that are resistant to our best antibiotics.

Delivering the Goods: At the dawn of the 21st century, we can prevent, treat or cure most of the deadliest diseases--and yet millions die needlessly every year because the benefits of modern medicine and public health fail to reach them. What are the obstacles to providing care to populations in need? This program profiles innovative health programs in Third World Countries, and the leaders who, against all odds, are "delivering the goods."

Deadly Messengers: Since the plague of the Middle Ages, vector-borne diseases -- those that rely on insects and animals to spread infectious agents -- have posed a serious threat to public health. Today, the most dangerous vector on earth is the mosquito. From malaria to yellow fever to West Nile virus, mosquito-borne diseases continue to threaten the health of millions around the world.

Back to the Basics: Nutrient-enriched products have reduced diseases caused by vitamin deficiency, but poorer countries also suffer from the twin problems of poor nutrition and unsafe water. This segment explores the connection between health and the essential requirements that so many people take for granted. It also examines how an overabundance of food -- in the form of over-consumption -- is causing an epidemic of obesity that is spreading across the globe.

How Safe Are We? Despite the rise in life expectancy in the past 100 years, in the last few decades, thirty new infectious diseases have emerged and one of them -- AIDS -- is becoming perhaps the most devastating epidemic in history. New diseases travel the globe with unprecedented rapidity. This segment examines the most critical threats we face today -- including avian flu -- and the pressing need to strengthen global public health systems.

Sickle Cell Anemia.

Dr. Daniel Foster and guest Dr. Helen M. Ranney, head of the Dept. of Internal Medicine, U.C. San Diego, discuss various aspects of sickle cell anemia--a disease of the blood which afflicts only members of the black population. 3/4" UMATIC. (NRLF #: B 3 969 167) 29 min. Video/C 43

The Syphilis Enigma.

Scientists have generally believed that Columbus' expedition brought syphilis back to Europe with it. But now, the discovery in Europe of a pre-Columbian body with definite signs of syphilis has archeologist Charlotte Roberts convinced that syphilis existed in the Old World long before Columbus ever set sail. Originally presented as a segment on the television program Secrets of the dead. Dist.: PBS. c2001. 60 min. Video/C 8596

Trial and Error: The Rise and Fall of Gene Therapy.

It was the simplest idea but one with enormous potential. If a gene is defective in the human body, just replace it with one that works properly. Gene therapy would mean that genetic disorders would become a thing of the past. Cancer would be cured, as would cystic fibrosis and hundreds of other genetic illnesses. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Human Gene Therapy and elsewhere were justifiably excited about the idea, but this enthusiasm would end up costing one young man his life. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Horizon. "A BBCW Production". Dist: Films Media Group. c2005. 50 min. DVD 5719

Tuberculosis in America: The People's Plague.

Chronicles a history that has shaped much of America's modern public health policy. Examines the battle against tuberculosis in the U.S. from the 1880s to the 1950s, a disease that is highly curable and almost entirely preventable and yet today, has returned to catch our country's health care system off guard. Told through the personal stories of TB survivors, and from the point of view of health care workers, researchers and TB victims of today. A film by Diane Garey and Lawrence R. Hott. Dist.: Direct Cinema. c1995. 114 min. Video/C MM1160

Twitch and Shout: A Documentary About Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder which causes tics, involuntary movements, noises, and thoughts, as well as uncontrollable swearing and obsessive-compulsive behavior. This documentary presents a series of interviews with adults who have been diagnosed with tourette syndrome but who are now able to participate in normal living experiences. 59 min. Video/C 4063

Description from Fanlight catalog

Viruses, the Mysterious Enemy.

Examines what is known about the tiny, mysterious, protein-covered nucleic acids called viruses and discusses their history, biochemistry, and life cycle. Tells how medical science is trying to eliminate this threat. 1985. 39 min. Video/C 2002

Disease/Diseases Control: AIDS

AIDS

Gay & Lesbian videography for videos on social and political aspects of AIDS.

The Age of AIDS

An extensive investigation of the history of the response to the AIDS crisis, produced on the 25th anniversary of the first diagnosed cases. Part one follows the trail of a medical mystery which began in 1981 when five gay men in Los Angeles were diagnosed with a deadly new disease. Traces the international response in the first years of the epidemic, contrasting moments of inspirational leadership with the tragedy of missed opportunities. Reveals the astounding spread of the infection to over 70 million infections in 2006. Part two explores the chasm that emerged between rich and poor following the development of the miraculous "triple cocktail" HIV treatment. While the discovery seemed to signal a new era in which AIDS was no longer a fatal disease, the high price of the drugs meant they were unaffordable to patients in developing nations. Also examines the next wave of the AIDS epidemic in some of the most populous and strategically important nations in the world, including Russia, India and China, and tracks the same pattern of official denial and political indifference that characterized the epidemic in so many other countries. Originally broadcast in two parts on May 30-31, 2006 as part of the Frontline television series. Dist.: PBS. c2006. 240 min. DVD 5793

AIDS, Blood and Politics (Frontline).

The ten-year history of AIDS and the blood supply is investigated, asking why the nation's guarantors of safe blood, including the American Red Cross and the FDA, failed to safeguard the blood supply from the deadly virus in the early 1980s, and why, still today, some of the nation's largest blood banks are not yet in full compliance with federal regulations on blood safety. 57 min. Video/C 3883

AIDS, Chapter One (Nova ).

Examines international efforts to uncover the cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, focusing on research at the Center for Disease Control, the National Cancer Institute in the United States, and France's Pasteur Institute. 1985. 57 min. 3/4" UMATIC. Video/C 864

AIDS: Everything You and Your Family Need to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask.

Dr. C. Everett Koop, U.S. Surgeon General, answers frequently asked questions from a survey conducted by Home Box Office. c1987. 40 min. Video/C 1238

AIDS, HIV: Essentials of Professional Practice

Contents: 1. Infection control--2. Risk factor history taking-- 3. HIV testing and counseling. 1990? 22 min. Video/C 1787

AIDS in Africa

Describes the harsh reality of the AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe, the hardest hit by the disease in Africa. Three successive reports address the hardships of a society composed of mostly the very old and the very young, and the grim future facing a nation deprived of its core adult population. Archbishop Desmond Tutu joins in the discussion of this monumental tragedy. Episodes from the television program, Nightline, originally airing Mar. 8-10, 2000. Reporter, Ted Koppel; correspondent, Dave Marash. 58 min. Dist.: Films Media Group. DVD 4904

AIDS: The Human Response

Health professionals discuss practical, emotional and spiritual responses to the AIDS crisis. 1989. Video/C 2233

Aids, Profile of an Epidemic: Update

An overview of AIDS, a disease which threatens to become a major epidemic of the century. Also covered are symptoms of the disease and what is being done to treat it. 1986. 58 min. Video/C 966

AIDS: The Global Challenge (CNN World Report; no. 59)

Reports from around the world about the fight against AIDS, who is most at risk, what is being done to protect them, latest research and treatment, education and prevention efforts. 1988. Video/C 1404:1-2

AIDS: Tracking the Mystery

The discovery of the HTLV3 virus now known to cause AIDS is documented through interviews and laboratory film footage. Emphasis is placed on progress in diagnosing, in developing reliable tests, and in allaying public fears that AIDS may be easily transmitted to the general population. 1984. 26 min. 3/4" UMATIC. Video/C 760

AIDS, What Everyone Needs to Know

A factual presentation on the current state of knowledge of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, with discussions by Doctors Michael Gottlieb and Peter Wolfe, and interviews with victims of the disease. 1986. 18 min. 3/4" UMATIC. Video/C 984

The Blood of Yingzhou District

Documentary on the AIDS epidemic in rural China focusing on one year in the life of a young boy with AIDS whose parents have died of the disease. Looks at how people living with the disease are ostracized. Shows how economic realities force many of the population into selling their blood to make ends meet, a practice that can expose them to unsafe medical practices that can expose them to the virus. Directed by Ruby Yang. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 2006. 40 min. DVD 8244

Brazil: Winning Against AIDS

HIV and AIDS patients in Brazil get the same treatment as similar patients in the United States and Europe. Since Brazil started to manufacture its own HIV and AIDS drugs in 1997, the national program has halved the death rate from AIDS, prevented thousands of new patients from being hospitalized, and helped stabilize the epidemic. This program examines whether Brazil's program can be replicated in other countries. Video/C 8944

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

Can AIDS Be Stopped? (Nova ).

Discusses the disease, AIDS. Explains how the retrovirus HTLV III works to destroy the body's immunity. Discusses how the disease AIDS is transmitted, research regarding the disease, and ways to prevent it. 58 min. Video/C 1356

Changing face of AIDS

Joined by activists and health professionals from the U.S. and Africa, Ray Suarez moderates a roundtable on AIDS policy. Originally broadcast as segments of: The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. DVD 8860

Coping with AIDS: Some Personal Experiences of People with AIDS & HIV

Focuses on the physical, psychological, social and practical problems of people with AIDS. The aim of this program is to raise awareness of these difficulties among health care and social service providers. Presents a variety of people with AIDS and HIV infection who tell their own stories and share their experiences. 1988. 60 min. Video/C MM873

The Cost of Living. (Life, Part 14)

This program examines why AIDS drugs are unaffordable in developing countries, using as examples Thailand and South Africa, two countries who have applied to use compulsory licenses and parallel importing -- practices agreed under World Trade Organization guidelines -- to make their own generic versions of anti-retroviral drugs to halt the AIDS epidemic in their countries. It also asks why anti-retroviral drugs still aren't included in the WTO's essential drugs lists. (For other installments of series, see Global Issues and Events) c2000. 24 min. Video/C 7774

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

Crisis Control: Stemming the Spread of HIV/AID

Two contrasting countries whose populations are affected by HIV/AIDS are examined, as are the roots of the problem and what is being done to alleviate it in each case. Ukraine has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Europe, with most people infected through injecting drugs. Aid organizations and the government are working to encourage needle exchanges, peer education and self-help groups. In Zambia 1 in 5 of the population are infected. The film accompanies workers as they visit remote rural areas as well as the capital Lusaka and explores what is being done to stem the spread of AIDS and to treat those with the disease. 2004. 26 min. DVD 3964

Bullfrog Films catalog description

Everyone's Child.

Through the tragic story of one Zimbabwean family devastated by AIDS, the film makes an eloquent call for action on behalf of Africa's millions of orphaned children. The film was produced in direct response to the prediction that by the year 2000 there will be over 10 million AIDS orphans on the African continent. At the same time, the film focuses attention on millions of other children left homeless by civil wars or abandoned because their parents could not support them. 1996. 83 min. Video/C 5253

Description from California Newsreel catalog

The Fight Against Infectious Disease: From Yellow Fever to AIDS. (The Health Century; 1).

Explores the dynamic processes of medical discoveries by probing current work in the nation's laboratories and research institutes. 1987. Video/C 1586

The Gift.

Documents the phenomenon of deliberate HIV infection. The film follows the stories of two "bug chasers" who sought out "the gift" of HIV infection. Also interviewed are AIDS activist and author, Walt Odets, and HIV+ and HIV- men. The film explores the normalization and glamorization of HIV/AIDS and discusses the isolation and division caused by HIV status in the gay community. Bonus feature: Does anyone die of AIDS anymore? (26 min., 2002). Produced and directed by Louise Hogarth. 2002. 62 min. DVD 5027

HIV/AIDS: A Challenge To Us All. 1: Educating Our Children: How To Speak with Young Children About HIV/AIDS

A film demonstrating how parents can answer children's questions about HIV/AIDS. 199? 30 min. Video/C 5681

HIV/AIDS: A Challenge To Us All. 2: A Parent Meeting: Discussing HIV/AIDS in Our Community

A video accompanied by a written guide designed to help any adult set up a parent meeting about HIV/AIDS. 199? 30 min. Video/C 5682

HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials: Knowing Your Options

Includes narration and interviews with people who have participated in HIV/AIDS clinical trials and medical research staff. AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service; [sponsored by] National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ... [et al.]. 1996. 19 min. Video/C 4594

The Hospice.(Life; 4)

This film explores the work of a hospice in Zambia, a country on the front line in the world fight against HIV/AIDS. In Zambia, where one in five of the population are HIV-positive (most under 40 years old), all of the eleven million population has been touched by HIV/AIDS in some way. The Mother of Mercy Hospice on the edge of the capital, Lusaka, was the first of its kind in Zambia. It has just 22 beds and was founded by an inspiring woman of extraordinary courage, a Polish nun called Sister Leonia. The film follows the work of the staff and volunteers both at the hospice and in the local villages and communities. The courage of patients, the resilience and despair of the staff and the dignity of how they all deal with the almost daily ritual of death makes this film an extraordinary account of the human face of AIDS in modern Africa. Directed by Kasper Blagaard. 2005. 23 min. DVD 3977

Bullfrog Films catalog description

How Safe Are We?(Rx for Survival)

Despite the rise in life expectancy in the past 100 years, in the last few decades, thirty new infectious diseases have emerged and one of them -- AIDS -- is becoming perhaps the most devastating epidemic in history. New diseases travel the globe with unprecedented rapidity. This segment examines the most critical threats we face today -- including avian flu -- and the pressing need to strengthen global public health systems. 2005. 112 min. DVD 4776

It's My Life

Zackie Achmat is an AIDS activist who refuses to take anti-retrovirals until they are available in public hospitals and clinics. He leads the court battle against the multi-national drug companies and takes on the South African government for it's confusing policies around HIV/AIDS. As a leader in the campaign for affordable treatment, Zackie's provocative position is not one all his friends and colleagues support. A film by Brian Tilley. 2001. 73 min. Video/C MM1015

First Run/Icarus catalog description

It's Too Late! Just Give Me a Chance to Live

Tuvumiliane Choir, made up of eighteen young men and women, all HIV positive, sing on the dangers of contracting AIDS to the uninfected youth of Oyugis in western Kenya. The songs emphasize chastity and abstinence before marriage. The choir is part of the Oyugis Integrated Project run under the direction of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, developed to give AIDS victims the opportunity to develop spiritually and offer them hope and a desire to live with respect and dignity. 2000. 29 min. Video/C MM983

Kosodo: The Village of Grandmothers.

A documentary looking at the activities of the Help Orphan Project, a community based program that helps AIDS orphans who are left under the care of their grandparents in the Kosodo Village of Rongo Division, Kenya. It depicts the sufferings of the children who have lost both parents to AIDS and the struggles of those who work with meager resources to rehabilitate the orphans in their natural environment. 2001. 21 min. PAL format. Video/C MM385

Living Proof: HIV and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Presents narratives by persons who have AIDS or are HIV positive. Kermit Cole discovered a diverse community, straight and gay, female and male, young and old, filed with active and vibrant people who live contrarily to every dismal and oppressive image of the typical AIDS victim presented by the media. 1993. 72 min. Video/C 3304

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

Living with AIDS.

This program profiles several people with the HIV virus over the course of two years and examines the issues they face--issues of medication, handling the emotional ups and downs, dealing with famiy members, paying for medical care and dealing with guilt. Interviewed are a drug abuser and her infected baby, a composer and victim of sexual abuse and a steer-wrestler. In addition to exploring traditional medical care, this program also examines alternative therapies and social support systems. Originally shown on the television program The Doctor is In. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1995. 28 min. Video/C 5414

Not My Child: AIDS in South Africa

Presents segments from the 13th Annual International Conference on AIDS in Durban and accounts by people of South Africa with HIV/AIDS and the role of traditional healers. 1998. 7 min. Video/C 7880

The Odds Against Us-- But There's Hope

People in Kenya are responding to the AIDS pandemic and one such person is pediatrician Dr. Margaret Ogola, the administrator and co-ordinator of Catholic health services throughout the country. She says that the church offers about 40% of all health care in Kenya and ministers to the poorest of the poor AIDS patients. Since 1994 she has served as medical director of Cottolengo, a hospice for children with AIDS. Through her extensive experience with the AIDS pandemic and her eight years of clinical practice with AIDS orphans, she is a recognized authority on this subject. In this video, Dr. Ogola gives the most thorough and comprehensive explanation of AIDS in Africa. c2002. 34 min. Video/C MM1145

The Origins of AIDS

An exploration of a theory of how AIDS was introduced to the human population. Illustrates the thesis presented in Edward Hooper's book The river : journey to the source of HIV and AIDS, and expands on it with new reporting. Many believe the answer lies in the research undertaken by scientist Hilary Koprowski, who between 1957 and 1960, injected his experimental polio vaccine into almost one million people in the former Belgian Congo. The film interviews scientists and journalists, as well as Africans who worked in the labs where the alleged vaccines were made, and also documents the ongoing battle between journalists and scientists in proving the theory's viability. 2003. 92 min. Video/C MM970

Out of Control: AIDS in Black America

According to ABC News AIDS is responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 African Americans as of the year 2004 and is the leading cause of death among African American women between the ages of 25 and 44. This program utilizes on location footage, commentary, and interviews to explore issues of sex, race, neglect, and denial as they relate to the disproportionate incidence of AIDS among African Americans. One of its segments, a group discussion with Jesse Jackson, Calvin Butts and T.D. Jakes and several African-American women, is hosted by the late television journalist, Peter Jennings. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2006. 41 min. DVD 7129

Pandemic: Facing AIDS

This theatrical version of the 5-part HBO series takes us around the globe to reveal stories of people who have been touched by AIDS: James (Uganda), a seven-year-old orphan who is taking care of his little sister Jessica; Sergei and Lena (Russia), young parents whose previous drug use has left them HIV-positive; Nagaraj and Bhanu (India), a young family facing life with AIDS in a small village, Alex (Brazil), a 27-year-old gay man who is trying to rebuild his health and get back to living a full and productive life; and Lek (Thailand), a former sex worker. Directed by Rory Kennedy. c2003. 113 min. DVD 5435

Patient Abuse: TAC's Struggle for Treatment Access

Presents the early missteps by the South African government health officials concerning AIDS through archival footage and reprints from the newspaper AIDS Times. Film follows the controversial statements made by current President Thabo Mbeki which advance doubts that HIV is the cause of AIDS. It also looks at the work of the organizations South Africa United Against AIDS and the Treatment Action Campaign which challenges pharmaceutical companies for charging high prices for AIDS drugs. 2001. 59 min. Video/C 8726

Description from California Newsreel catalog

Paying the Price.

This program examines the history of AIDS treatment in Africa. It details Uganda's success with a UN-sponsored program of price reduction and medical education, and South Africa's refusal to begin a national AIDS treatment program. It also looks at the success of smaller local programs that are bringing hope for the future to many infected Africans. 2001. 30 min. Video/C 8949

Bullfrog Films catalog description

Pills, Profits, Protest Chronicle of the Global AIDS Movement.

A documentary about the global activist movement to expand access to AIDS treatment for millions of people with HIV/AIDS. Examines the national and international grassroots responses from Durban to Delhi, from Botswana to Bahia, from Philadelphia to Port-Au-Prince, depicting activists' successes in bringing affordable treatment to the poor. Dist.: Outcast Films. 2005. 60 min. DVD 5308

Sangoma.

In South Africa, traditional healers have always been regarded with suspicion by practitioners of Western medicine. New efforts to integrate traditional healers into primary health care, nutritional education, and AIDS work holds some promise for a public health system under siege. 1996. 54 min. Video/C 4635

Sowing Seeds of Hunger. (Life; 41)

Part of a series examining the issue of glabalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the AIDS epidemic in Zambia and other sub-Saharan African nations which has crippled the agricultural community, forcing children to undertake the responsibilities of farming. 2003. 27 min. Video/C 9850 (for other installments of series, SEE Global Issues and Events)

Taking the Pulse(Way We Live: Introduction to Sociology ; 19)

Health care in the United States has reached a crisis point, despite advances in medicine and technology. Yet this is not necessarily the case in other parts of the world. This lesson looks at health and society, and explores such issues as inequities in health care coverage, the economics of providing care, alternative medical treatments and ethical questions including right-to-die. Particular emphasis is placed on one of the most serious sexually transmitted diseases -- HIV/AIDS." 2005. 27 min. DVD 4814

Turning Grief into Courage

With an estimated 6.4 million Asians now infected with AIDS, Asia is projected to be the next epicenter of the global AIDS pandemic. This is the story of a teenage girl who lost her father to AIDS, and her mother is HIV positive. With the help of her rural community in San Pa Tong, Thailand, she is turning grief into courage to make something of her life. c2001. 13 min. Video/C 9143

The Value of Life AIDS in Africa Revisited.

30 million Africans have HIV/AIDS. In the summer of 2003, two years after the release of his documentary "Race against time," United Nations' HIV/AIDS envoy Stephen Lewis returns to Africa, comparing the status of AIDS-afflicted people in 2001 and 2003. There is hope that the epidemic can be helped with new generic antiretroviral drugs on which Canada is expected to pass legislation. 2004. 52 min. DVD 4956

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

Drugs / Pharmaceutical Industry

Battles in the War on Cancer: A Wonder Drug on Trial

(Nova). Nova reports on the painstaking trials to determine the value of Interleukin 2 (IL-2), looking into the lives of patients and into the laboratories of scientists who have pinned their hopes on this latest treatment. 58 min. Video/C 1193

Big Bucks, Big Pharma: Marketing Disease & Pushing Drugs /

Pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain. Focusing on the industry's marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand the ways in which direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors. Combined, these industry practices shape how both patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment. Ultimately, Big Bucks, Big Pharma challenges us to ask important questions about the consequences of relying on a for-profit industry for our health and well-being. Dist.: Media Education Foundation. 2006. 46 min. DVD 6439

Birth of Perception: the American Story on RU-486

Explores the heated controversy in America surrounding the struggle to get the French abortion pill RU-486 (mifepristone) approved for use in the United States. Directed & written by Kristine Clark. c1997. 45 min. Video/C MM830

The Cost of Living. (Life, Part 14)

This program examines why AIDS drugs are unaffordable in developing countries, using as examples Thailand and South Africa, two countries who have applied to use compulsory licenses and parallel importing -- practices agreed under World Trade Organization guidelines -- to make their own generic versions of anti-retroviral drugs to halt the AIDS epidemic in their countries. It also asks why anti-retroviral drugs still aren't included in the WTO's essential drugs lists. (For other installments of series, see Global Issues and Events) c2000. 24 min. Video/C 7774

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

A History of Antibiotics

In this program, experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and elsewhere use case studies and research findings to discuss key issues in the war against infectious diseases such as pneumococcal meningitis, toxic shock syndrome, and ulcers. Decades of overuse and misuse of antibiotics are targeted as key factors in the birth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the reemergence of TB, bubonic plague, and other deadly organisms. Factors contributing to the spread of diseases, including crowded daycare facilities and international travel, are also examined, along with the development of the new drug Zyvox. Dist.: Films Media Group. 999. 45 min. Video/C 8157

Hofmann's Potion

Discovered in 1943 by Albert Hofmann, LSD was hailed as a powerful tool to treat alcoholism and drug addiction and to provide a window into schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Aldous Huxley and others promoted the drug as a powerful tool for mental exploration and self-understanding. This film chronicles the drug's early days, and features interviews with many LSD pioneers. c2002. 57 min. Video/C 9744

The Human Experiment (Ethics in America; 9).

Columbia University Seminars on Media & Society. Moderator, Lewis Kaden; series host, Fred W. Friendly. A panel of prominent representatives from the fields of medicine, government service, the judiciary, journalism, religion, and academe discuss the ethical ramifications of human experimentation in medical research. A hypothetical medical test of a new drug for the treatment of AIDS serves as the focus for the examination of such issues as the propriety of risking the life of one patient in order to save millions in the future and the use of placebos on victims of serious diseases. 58 min. Video/C 1661

The Jungle Pharmacy

Documents the development of certain pharmaceutical cures from natural compounds which are obtained from the trees of the tropical rainforests, and looks at the increasing ravaging of these forests and efforts to conserve them. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 1989. 53 min. DVD 8243

The Jungle Pharmacy

Do the world's rainforests contain a cure for cancer and AIDS? This intriguing program travels to Jakarta, Surabaya, and the jungles of Kalimantan to investigate the preparation and use of natural remedies to combat illnesses such as skin fungus, malaria and even AIDS. But logging continues unabated in Indonesia and other tropic zones. Will the jungle pharmacy disappear before it can be understood? Dist.: Films Media Group. 1992. 26 min. Video/C 6816

The Keys of Paradise (Nova ).

Describes the recently discovered, powerful and complex painkilling drugs, endorphins, manufactured by the human brain. 3/4" UMATIC. 57 min. Video/C 147

Kill or Cure?(Life; 5)

Travels to India, whose pharmaceutical industry has been a leader in producing low cost drugs for the developing world for over a decade. Now, India's $4.5 billion pharmaceutical industry is at a crossroads following a new law introduced there in January 2005. TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) is an agreement drawn up by the World Trade Organization between 1986 and 1994 to ensure intellectual property rights are respected within international trade. The government says that despite the new law, they are committed to supplying drugs at an affordable price. But those actually working in the health system have doubts. Directed by Reena Mohan. 2005. 26 min. DVD 8392

Bullfrog Films catalog description

Marijuana as Medicine

Traces the history of the medicinal use of marijuana in the United States, and cites the benefits of using the drug for treatments of specific diseases, such as glaucoma. Includes personal accounts by the first five patients in the United States who have been granted legal access to marijuana to treat their medical conditions. c1992. 18 min. Video/C MM88

Matters of Life and Death

From the late 1800's through the present day this film investigates the remarkable breakthroughs in surgery, vaccines, drugs and medical technology; medicine's new ethical questions; and assumptions about life and death. Topics investigated include fighting disease, the discovery of penicillin and insulin, and the history of surgery and organ transplants. 120 min. Video/C 5998

Money Talks: Profits Before Patient Safety

An in-depth, academic perspective on the questionable marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry, featuring the commentary by investigative journalists and medical professionals. Written and directed by Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau. 2006. 50 min. DVD 9106

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest.

Presentations from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994.

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 1: ACEER Useful Plant Trail Guide. A tour of the Useful Plant Trail of the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research situated in the Peruvian rain forest. On average, nearly 300 species of woody plants per hectare have been found to grow here. Shaman Don Antonio Montero hosts the tour and describes the properties of 45 trees and plants, not only those useful to the people of Amazonia but some that provide chemicals or products used in countries around the world. Sponsored by the American Botanical Council, Texas Pharmacy Foundation, and International Expeditions. 28 min. Video/C 7872

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 2: Plant Drugs, Healing Herbs and Phytomedicals. Keynote address from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994. Dr. Varro E. Tyler gives the opening presentation at this first ever conference to bring traditional medicinal plant healers and Western pharmaceutical professionals together to explore the uses of medicinal plants from the tropical rain forests of Peru. 1994. 34 min. Video/C 7873

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 3: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Application of Plant Drugs. A presentation from the workshop "Pharmacy from the Rain forest" held in Peru during October 1994. Dr. Varro E. Tyler explores five significant categories of plant drugs including antineoplastic agents, antiprotozoal drugs, cardiovascular drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs and possible immunostimulants. These and other natural products have served as prototypes for synthetic and semi-synthetic medicinals. 1994. 81 min. Video/C 7873

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 4: Nutrition and the Amazon Food Pharmacy. This program focuses on foods that are derived from tropical sources and the multiple health benefits they provide. Dr. James Duke traces the origins of introduced and native tropical "food farmaceuticals" that can be and have been utilized in preventitive pharmacy as well as an adjunct to therapeutic drug pharmacology. 1994. 47 min. Video/c 7875

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 5: Tropical Medicine in the Rainforest Dr. Linnea Smith of La Clinica Yanamono located on the banks of the Amazon River 50 miles from Iquitos, shares her experiences in providing healthcare in the Amazon where Western medicine is usually unavailable. She gives insights into how the cultural and religious needs of the people bring a new dimension to treatment and preventitive care. Adapative approaches of a medical practice in the Amazon as well as the problems, advantages and revelations of bringing Western-style medical care to this remote region are discussed. 1994. 25 min. Video/C 7876

Pharmacy from the Rain Forest, Part 6: Ethnomedical Field Research in the Amazon. Provides insights into the current methodology of ethnomedical field research as related to the success of programs associated with the search for new medicines from phytopharmaceuticals. Presents the challenges of drug discovery strategies as related to research among the Jivaro Amerindians of the western Amazon and gives some examples of uses of medicinal plants including obstetrical use by Amazonian Jivaro women, as well as the use of plant alkaloids in treating wounds. 1994. 57 min. Video/C 7877

Patents and Patients. (Life; 39)

In India the drug company Cipla produces generic copies of anti-retroviral drugs whose patents officially belong to pharmaceutical giants like Bristol Myers Squibb. But without a proper health infrastructure to ensure that the drugs are properly administered to patients, India faces the risk of a drug-resistant HIV explosion. c2002. 23 min. Video/C 9848

The Pill

Examines the work of contraceptive pioneers Margaret Sanger, Katherine McCormick, Gregory Pincus and John Rock, and features personal accounts from the first generation of women to have access to the Pill. Shows how harnessing female hormones into a little pill unleashed a social revolution that allowed women to pursue careers as never before, fueled the feminist and consumer health movements, and encourged more open attitudes towards sex. Originally broadcast on PBS as a segment of The American Experience. Dist.: PBS. 2003. 60 min. Video/C 9599

The Pill

Chronicles little known chapters in the history of the development of the birth control pill and examines how far the pharmaceutical industry was willing to risk women's health. For its inquiry the film draws on archival footage, interviews with women from from Puerto Rico who became unsuspecting test subjects for the early pill, insights from women health activists who questioned the high-dose version's safety, and testimony from scientists who developed the pill. A film by Erna Buffie and Elise Swerhone. 1999. 46 min. Video/C 7975

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

Pricing Drugs

Ray Suarez focuses on efforts by states to make prescription drugs more affordable. His guests are Marjorie Powell of PHARMA and Kevin Concannon, director of the Iowa Department of Human Services. Originally broadcast as segments of: The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. DVD 8860

Selling Sickness.

Documentary examines the pharmaceutical industry's marketing of antidepre