Roger Daltrey of legendary rock band The Who has long been a champion for kids with cancer, raising money for research and for new clinics and hospital wings in the U.K. and U.S. that are devoted to treating teenagers and young adults. Daltrey is credited as executive producer (and appears in the film) for this deeply-felt documentary made by cancer survivor Hernan Barangan—a young American adult who learned of his diagnosis at age 15—as he travels to all 50 states to hear from other young people with cancer experiences. This is not an easy challenge, as Barangan now requires a wheelchair, but he hits the road and makes the acquaintance of numerous teens who recall first hearing of their diagnoses from shattered parents who were informed of the news before the patients. Barangan’s interviewees take viewers through the many physical and emotional stages of cancer treatment, from the side effects of chemotherapy (like putting gasoline in your body, one young man says) to the guilt of knowing that the financially crippling costs of care can ruin a family. The stories vary—one veteran of the war in Iraq, a medical helicopter pilot, describes becoming ill while serving in the military—and Cancer Rebellion sometimes feels a bit scattershot, but it does offer a touching tribute to a wide range of young people who have worked to transcend the limitations imposed by a brutal disease. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Cancer Rebellion
(2018) 100 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 34, Issue 5
Cancer Rebellion
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