We are very proud to present the UK premiere of Up For Air by Navigo Productions at the Public Health Film Festival 2016.
The film follows Jerry Cahill, a 60-year-old pole-vaulting coach battling Cystic Fibrosis (CF). He is now 20 years past his given life expectancy and one of the oldest living patients with the genetic disease. Jerry’s lifelong devotion to pole-vaulting helps him fight continued respiratory degeneration, depression, and a potentially fatal double-lung transplant, while positioning him as an inspirational figure to the CF community. Shot over a period of five years, Up For Air showcases the fragility of life while revealing the power that self-discipline and community can have in prolonging it. From a public health perspective, the film is a telling reminder of the benefits of exercise for all, especially for those with chronic disease where the benefits could be substantial. More broadly, the film urges us all to consider: diseased, healthy, young, or old, can we – find happiness – when we are irrevocably designed to fail?
The film is the winner of this year’s film competition.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with the film’s Director, Artem Agafonov. He will be joined on the panel by Dr William Flight, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Angela Baker, Deputy Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England (South East Region) and Jerry Cahill.
The screening is supported by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, Navigo Productions, The Boomer Esiason Foundation and Public Health England.
Tickets for the screening at 1 – 4pm on Saturday 12th Nov at the Lecture Theatre, Radcliffe Humanities Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG are FREE and can be booked by clicking here.
Artem will also be holding a workshop on ‘Documentary film-making for health films’ between 10 – 12am on 12th Nov, to book your tickets click here.
(Tickets for the screening of the Highly Commended Films from the competition at 10 – 12am on Sunday 13th Nov at the Lecture Theatre, Radcliffe Humanities Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG are FREE and can be booked by clicking here)
