social documentary 4x5 - broadcast of House Calls

I am a physician and large format photographer based in Toronto, Canada.

I take care of house-bound frail elderly patients, and I have been documenting their plight with my 4X5 camera. I use a traditional straight social documentary approach.

The National Film Board of Canada documentary film House Calls will have its national TV broadcast premiere on BRAVO! (Canada), Sunday January 15, 2006, at 8 pm.

This film follows three of my patients and takes you into the world of the house-bound elderly. It seeks to raise awareness about the needs of this hidden and neglected population.

As described by director Ian McLeod: "This NFB documentary is examining how Dr. Mark Nowaczynski is struggling to improve our home care delivery system so he can care for the frail elderly patients who desperately need him. His calling cards to effect change are the photos he takes of them. In the course of this film we follow Mark as he tries to make a difference. We see how he combines his passion for photography with his commitment to improve the lives of his patients. The film is designed to be like one of Mark’s photographs – an artistically powerful work in its own right, and useful in creating social change."

Further information about the film (and how to obtain a copy) can be found at: www.nfb.ca/housecalls

House Calls not only highlights a significant social issue, it also offers solutions. Making it possible for seniors to “age in place” by providing them with chronic supportive home care services integrated with the delivery of home-based primary medical care is a cost effective and sustainable alternative to institutional care.

It is my hope that this film will prove to be a useful tool in stimulating social and policy change.

Mark Nowaczynski PhD, MD, CCFP, FCFP,
Toronto, Ontario,
CANADA

Marked for recording. I am looking forward to it.

Thanks I will watch.

If you get the chance to see this documentary, grab it. I have had the priviledge of seeing Mark's 4x5 portraits and they are exquisite. Congratulations Mark.
Patricia

Mark, that sounds like a bit of Canadian television (not to mention health care) that should defiinitely migrate south of the border!

Mark, you're a better man than I.

Once, I decided to make hospital rounds on my dozen patients, documenting them and their conditions with 35mm. The day before, I explained what I was going to do, had them sign release forms, and wrote up a brief description of their illnesses and treatments. They ranged from a young bride with newly diagnosed Lymphoma to a young executive dying of liver cancer. There was even one elderly lady who'd been a patient for 20 years and never paid a bill (which I didn't mention in my summary, but I think of her still, on occasion.)

The following day, as planned, I made rounds and did the photography with my Leica CL and 40mm Summicron on Kodak Gold 100 film. Natural light only, no flash.

When I got home that evening, I realized that I'd been so involved with the photography that I hadn't properly attended to business. It was too distrrracting; can't serve two masters; etc. So instead of dinner, it was back to the hospital for proper rounds.

I've never even thought of trying it again.

I wish you good luck with your project. I'd love to see the flic.

If anybody is not sure where / when to find it

http://www.bravo.ca/schedule/index.asp?date=1-15-2006

joe

I have seen this NFB documentary during the Calgary Filmfestival. I highly recommend it, for at least two reasons; you will see that people like Mark are able and willing to go the extra mile, provide sound and sympathetic medical care at home. Like it or not, you will also have chance to look at your future, were you may be 30-50 years from now! Discuss the topic with your socio/medical policy makers!

Excellent, I shall watch for sure.

Thanks to all for your warm welcome and kind words.

A special thanks to my friends Patricia in Ontario and Hans in Calgary for their interest and support.

I posted this notice here because this project is an example of contemporary large format social documentary photography that is actually effecting social change. Our medium has a venerable history as a tool for social change, and despite the proliferation of other media, traditional B & W photography still has the impact and power to move people.

I am humbled by the accomplishments of some of our forefathers in social documentary photography, and I am inspired by their dedication, vision, and commitment.

Regards,

The term "forefathers" is not quite the right term as it includes giants such as Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Walker Evans, and Lewis Hine (among others).

Bill raises a very good point about the perils of mixing photography with the practice of medicine. Both disciplines require highly developed observational skills, but they are used very differently. It is interesting that many physicians have excelled as writers about the human condition, and far fewer are known as social documentary photographers.

If I am making a house call that will involve a photo-shoot, I always get the medicine out of the way before I pull out my camera (or I make a separate visit to take pictures). I too have found that using a camera while simultaneously trying to practice medicine distracts me from being focused on the patient's medical issues and turns me into more of a visual obsever. If you were a violinist who was also a journalist, would you play your violin at the same time as you were trying to interview someone?