Les enfants du silence

Erwan, Caroline, Vincent, and Charlie-Anne are survivors: against all odds, modern medicine kept them alive through extreme measures taken just after their birth. Since then, they have suffered from serious neurological consequences and a range of disabilities. Technology can now work miracles to save lives. But at what price? Medicine Under the Influence tackles a taboo subject: the tragic effects of life-sustaining medical treatment on infants. Through the courageous testimony of a handful of doctors and therapists as well as the shocking stories told by devoted parents of disabled children, Lina B. Moreco's powerful documentary denounces the lack of support offered to science's little "miracles." Once saved, the children are more or less left to their fate by a medical system that does not give them the therapy needed to improve their quality of life and develop to their fullest potential. With its heart-tugging characters, this troubling yet essential film opens our eyes to an intolerable situation, one that affects some 2,000 newborns every year in Quebec. Bonus Features Interview with Dr. Pierre Marois, Physiatrist Interview with Dr. Claude Mercier, Clinical bioethics committee Interview with Me Jean-Pierre Ménard, health lawyer In French with English subtitles.

Ce film porte sur les enfants atteints de surdité et l'importance d'obtenir un diagnostic précoce. Par une technique cinématographique sobre, bien maîtrisée, et une approche intimiste du sujet, il privilégie le côté humain plutôt que l'aspect technique du problème de surdité, tout en invitant les parents à la vigilance.

Jan Maka was a child like any other, until his family's lives were turned upside down when it was discovered he had autism. What is it like to live with a child affected by this neurological disorder? Through the voice of Jan's devoted mother and the comments of specialists, Anna Barczewska's touching short film introduces us to the demanding reality of autism, a condition characterized by a reduced ability to communicate with the outside world. Going beyond one family's story, A Child Unlike Any Other depicts the daily struggle of parents of autistic children and their efforts to obtain therapy. A poignant cry from the heart.