Black Dawn

A Canadian documentary formatted like a news program, Black Dawn offers a cautionary tale about the worldwide danger posed by the avian flu. Presented in the style of a “what if?” scenario, the film speculates about what might happen in a typical North American city if the recently-discovered, deadly strain of influenza (which thus far has been limited to bird-to-human transmission in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa) were to mutate into a disease communicable from person to person that spread across the Atlantic. The argument here is that the result would be catastrophic, both in terms of loss of life and the impact on the social structure. The fictional narrative is anchored in the experiences of a single family—Toronto nurse Jane MacDonald, her husband, and their child—supplemented with information on the effect of the pandemic on the larger community from simulated news broadcasts and pronouncements by public-health officials. Complementing the dramatization are observations by scientists and other experts. Avoiding sensationalism, Black Dawn makes a strong case that the danger posed by the bird flu is both real and potentially more devastating than the world-wide influenza epidemic that struck in the early 20th century. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)