| 65_Redroses[1] | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Philip Lyall Nimisha Mukerji |
| Produced by | Philip Lyall Nimisha Mukerji John Ritchie |
| Written by | Nettie Wild |
| Starring | Eva Markvoort |
| Music by | Adam Locke-Norton |
| Cinematography | Mike Rae |
| Editing by | Justin Cousineau Philip Lyall Nimisha Mukerji |
| Studio | Force Four Entertainment in association with CBC Newsworld Dualogue Productions |
| Release date(s) | October 9, 2009 (VIFF) |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
65_Redroses is a 2009 documentary film about Eva Markvoort, a young woman from New Westminster, British Columbia, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. The film follows Markvoort as she lives her life undaunted by her disease, waiting for a lung transplant while blogging about her experiences.[2]
Contents |
The film began when Philip Lyall, a long-time friend of Markvoort, introduced her to his University of British Columbia film school partner Nimisha Mukerji. Lyall and Mukerji had been looking for a post-graduation project and decided to chronicle Markvoort’s wait for a double-lung transplant. They named the film 65_Redroses after Eva's online identity, which she had chosen because, according to the Canadian cystic fibrosis community, "sixty-five roses" is how many young children with the disease mispronounce “cystic fibrosis”.[3] Eva added 'red' because it was her favourite colour.[4]
When Lyall and Mukerji began shooting, Markvoort’s lungs were so clogged doctors said that without a transplant, she would not live to 2009. However, while getting ready for a pumpkin patch the week before Halloween in 2007, her pager went off, indicating that a pair of lungs was available for transplant. This sequence, emotional for both Markvoort and the filmmakers, was instrumental in attracting the attention and backing of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.[4]
65_Redroses premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and won three awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival, including most popular Canadian film and documentary. It debuted on television on CBC's The Passionate Eye series and was acquired by the Public Broadcasting Service for international distribution.[4]
On November 16th, 2010, it was announced that 65_Redroses had been acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network and would premiere in the United States in early 2011.[5]