Tell Them You're Fine

As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that the shock of hearing the news is devastating enough, but what really gets to you is how much you suddenly feel set apart from the way things are for everyone else. Tell Them You're Fine presents a series of short interviews with people with cancer, talking about the uncertainty of their futures and how they cope with their day-to-day existence. Unfortunately, seeing others speaking about themselves on tape just doesn't cut it for the viewer suffering a similar fate. In fact, it could have the reverse of its intended effect by emphasizing the isolation inherent in the passive experience of TV watching. Whereas a support group allows for personal interaction--chances to both listen and talk--the purpose of this video seems to be more of a cathartic exercise for the filmmaker, himself a cancer patient, and an invitation for the rest of the world to peek in on the sad and mundane experiences of other patients as well. But just having a disease doesn't make people ipso facto interesting. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (E. Druda)