Shattered Dreams

They seem like ordinary people. They have no physical disabilities and appear as functional as the next person. But their lives have been shadowed by the crippling effects of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a misunderstood anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts, nagging fears and ritualistic behaviour. OCD: The War Inside documents the personal stories of several individuals who fight to survive a war inside their minds. Their stories reveal a deeper aspect to the disorder, which goes beyond the constant hand washing, door locking and other repetitive acts typically associated with OCD.

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.

When a loved one dies, the process of making the loss real can be a lonely and confusing experience. Surviving Death: Stories of Grief is about people negotiating a new relationship with life after losing a loved one. Seven people--parents, children, siblings, partners and friends--reveal how they have been affected by the death of someone close to them. The people profiled in Surviving Death come from different cultural backgrounds; they hope their stories will allow others to begin expressing and understanding their own grief. They speak about the pain and powerful emotions they have experienced, about their need to reassess values and relationships after a death, and about the ways they have found to survive their loss. Recognizing that there is no single or easy path to recovery, this video is a useful resource for those in grief and for those lending support to people who are grieving.