Documentary · ALS Awareness
Six MonthsHarry’s wish was to document his ALS diagnosis journey to provide clarity and support to newly diagnosed individuals.
When Harry first felt something wasn’t right with his foot after running, he simply thought maybe he should just take it easy for a while – like anyone who runs as much as he does would. Over the course of the next few weeks, however, there were other instances where he felt something just wasn’t right.
After several doctor visits and tests, they confirmed that his body’s motor neurons were beginning to shut down. Harry was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disease that shuts down your body and muscular system.
Harry’s wish was to document his ALS diagnosis journey to provide clarity and support to newly diagnosed individuals. He wanted to reveal the challenges someone would face during the difficult process.
Six Months came together differently than most documentary projects. The subject – Harry – came to us with a clear and personal purpose: he had been diagnosed with ALS and wanted to document his journey so that others receiving the same diagnosis would have something honest and human to turn to. The film wasn’t commissioned. It started with a conversation about what Harry wanted to leave behind.
Producing a documentary about someone navigating a serious illness diagnosis requires a specific kind of discipline. The camera has to earn its place in those moments – you can’t manufacture intimacy, and you can’t push a subject toward emotion for the sake of footage. The approach throughout production was to follow Harry’s lead, filming the actual appointments, conversations, and quiet stretches of waiting that define what an ALS diagnosis process really looks like for the person living it.
To give the film its medical grounding, we interviewed a range of specialists involved in ALS care – respiratory physicians, neurologists, and physiotherapists – who helped contextualize what Harry was experiencing for viewers who may be facing a similar diagnosis themselves. The goal was always the same as Harry’s: clarity and support, not spectacle. Six Months is available to watch in full on YouTube and is supported by the ALS Society of BC.
The issue with ALS is it’s largely the breathing muscles. The ones that are critical to life. If the breathing muscles are effect by ALS, that’s a vital part of your existence.
It isn’t just motor system, we now recognize that frontal temporal dementia can be an intrical part of ALS.
He didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel like his stride was there, he didn’t have the power in his stride … he felt like his foot was dropping.
At the age you are ready to retire, during an evening jog, you suddenly notice an odd feeling in your foot. You get it looked at by your regular physiotherapist and it is still not checking out. Next phase is heading to the doctors for tests.
There now comes the realization you have been diagnosed with ALS. What does this future look like?
Six Months has screened at community events and health organizations across British Columbia to support ALS awareness and newly diagnosed individuals.
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A simple discussion guide: the 3-2-1 strategy
We are currently looking to network with individuals and organizations who can help bring awareness to the project through their networks and social media channels. Please reach out if you would like to help. You will be recognized on the film and on the website as proud supporters.
