Roughly a year ago I posted here about my cancer experience through my blog hapshaw.com. I asked family and friends to document everything through photographs.
From this I met Brian Hill (over the phone that is) and discussed ways of using my artist skills to help tell stories surrounding oral cancer. I don't know why it took this long to come up with something but I have started a documentary on a 2 time cancer survivor here in Urbana Illinois named Sten. His first cancer was like mine in that his lower mandible was rebuilt roughly 4 years ago. His second one which was at the beginning of this year was an esophageal cancer with not a very promising diagnosis. Needless to say he made it and offered himself to this project. We hope to tell a very in depth and personal story of oral cancer as opposed to commercially driven skewed message I seem to be seeing more and more. It's painful, ugly and real. This is what we will attempt to do.
2 Months ago I made some initial interviews that were basically a way for us to figure out the process and tool set. I showed a few folks a small 3 minute clip and from that garnered alot of people to pitch in there talents to make this more robust than planned. This would include a medical illustrator from Johns Hopkins, Musicians, Artists, Web Developers, even our Dr's, and many other area's of technical expertise. Many of these volunteer's, but not all, have been touched by cancer in someway. I think when it's all said and done you could say those of us that have been through this are the ones producing it. So for me the passion and energy flowing in is humbling and overwhelming. It has become something obviously important we all must attempt to do.
The web address will be The Dragonfly As of right now it's being forwarded so don't get confused by the address change once you click that link, this will change later.
I'm building a mailing list for now until we get the first trailer done which will be sometime this month. Please sign up if interested since generating a good audience from many of you here is very important to us. There is also other ways to connect that I list below if you prefer those means.
It will be delivered online only for the time being. We have the story broken down into small chapters between Sten's first and second cancer experiences. In other words it's a episodic documentary with each chapter having a very specific focus and being released as they are completed.
Facebook: The Dragonfly Twitter: @DragonflyCancer
