House Calls

Ian McLeod,
2004,
55 min 34 s

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Synopsis
Point Of View
Education

This award-winning documentary presents Mark Nowaczynski, a physician who photographs the lives of many of his elderly patients. "Who in the world would want to see a bunch of pictures of me? Junk," says Connie, 93. Yet "Dr. Mark" has been photographing her and other patients to raise awareness about the lack of home care in this growing segment of the population. His black-and-white pictures reflect faces that convey fragility and vulnerability but also quiet strength as these seniors struggle to live with dignity.

From the playlist : Manifesto for Interventionist Media - because Art is a Hammer

Manifesto Point # 5: Use whatever medium suits: There’s a feature film worth mentioning here too. In House Calls (2006) family physician Mark Nowaczynski advocates for a return to the practice of house calls for seniors who are living independently in their own homes. Things sure have changed since the 1930s, when 40% of doctor-patient encounters were house calls. What’s interesting about “Dr. Mark” is that he’s turned to the art of photography to make his case. Through portrait photography, Dr. Mark gives a dignity to his patients and photography subjects, all the while making a strong argument for doctors to hit the road more often. This film, directed by Ian MacLeod and produced by Filmmaker-in-Residence’s own producer, Gerry Flahive, has influenced policy, practice and attitudes across Canada.

— Katerina Cizek

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Comments

“Doctor Mark N. used to be my husband's doctor at 90 Medical. My husband just sent me this site with this phrases: Here is an independent documentary from Dr Nowaczynski . Now I think , I really miss him . A great doctor but more a compassionate human being. ” — Clara, 23 Oct 2010
“Superb documentary. Thank you for the insight. ” — heidiannemorris, 4 Aug 2010