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In 65_Redroses, Canadian filmmakers Nimisha Mukerji and Philip Lyall take a look at the pain and courage of a young Cystic Fibrosis patient. The film reveals the 23-year-old Eva Markvoort’s process of awaiting a double lung transplant she hoped would prolong her life. CF is an impossible disease to understand for those who do not experience it, and patients cannot be around each other, since they are extremely susceptible to infections. Eva found consolation in her online friendships, receiving constant support from her friends, Kina and Meg – two CF patients from the States that she’d connected with. (The film’s title comes from Eva’s screen name – “65 roses” is a way for young kids to learn to pronounce “Cystic Fibrosis”, while red was Eva’s favourite colour.)

CF’s devastating effects on one’s body are thoroughly and distressingly documented in 65_Redroses. In the context of the other documentaries screened at BITE ME!, this film presents a way to be concerned with one’s body that is different from, and more painful than issues related to one’s appearance – it unfolds another perspective on the value of your body. Being weakened and incapacitated by disease forces one to re-examine one’s relationship to one’s physical self, and this film shows a particular set of priorities that CF patients need to set out in order to get as much as they can out of life. Although Eva found it much more difficult to engage in everyday activities, in 65_Redroses, she is seen putting all of her strength into keeping up her relationships with her loved ones, enjoying every moment she spent with them, and working hard to maintain her demanding medical regimen.

Eva’s strength of character is definitely a memorable point of the film. You see how easy she was to get along with, and how light her inner world seemed to be. The documentation of her illness doesn’t spare many details of her suffering; the viewer often sees her enduring extreme pain, inflicted by her lungs, her intense worries and fears, or by the invasive procedures that CF patients undergo in order to maintain a certain level of functioning. This makes Eva’s loving and positive outlook all the more amazing. Somehow, she emerged out of every painful and frightening moment she had to face with an enduring love of life. Her personality often seemed unbelievable, though her most agonizing moments reminded the viewers that, unfortunately, her painful experience was real.

This was definitely one of the most affecting and well-put-together documentaries I’ve ever seen. The way 65_Redroses portrays Eva’s ordeal and her undefeatable attitude to life made me more grateful for the simple pleasure of taking my next breath, and more prepared to face my own challenges. I would highly recommend seeing it if you’re able to, as I’m sure it would affect you just as much.