NFB Collection
Chi
201359 min 32 secFilm: Documentary
Direction: Anne Wheeler
Production: Yves J. MaTracey Friesen
Script: Anne Wheeler
Anyone who knew Babz Chula—a talented, larger-than-life actress from Canada’s West Coast—could tell you that her life force, or chi, was incredibly strong. When Babz reconnected with director Anne Wheeler in 2009, they discovered a mutual interest: India.
Babz easily convinces Anne to join her on a journey to Kerala, where 63-year-old Babz will undergo treatment by a renowned Ayurvedic healer in an effort to rid herself of the cancer that has been threatening her life for the last six years. Anne suggests she bring her camera and film the treatment, and Babz enthusiastically agrees.
Not all goes according to plan when they arrive; the centre is far less sophisticated than Babz anticipated, and she is very ill from her last round of chemotherapy and the long journey. But, after six weeks of treatments, introspection, and laughs with Anne at the bare-bones clinic, Babz seems to show considerable physical and psychic improvement. At least that’s what Anne believes is happening, until they return home and it is revealed that Babz’s cancer has spread—new tumors are present and she has weeks, if not just days, to live. And now all the things they’d pondered in India, like facing death without fear or a belief in a God, become an imminent reality. Amazingly, the irrepressible Babz invites Anne and her camera to continue bearing witness to her journey into the unknown.
Availability
Other versions
Subject categories
- Health and Medicine > CancerCoping with Illness and Dying
- Religion, Beliefs and Ethics > Life and Death
- Family Studies/Home Economics > Aging/Death and Dying
- Health/Personal Development > Disease Prevention
- Media Education > Documentary Film
Credits
- writer
- Anne Wheeler
- director
- Anne Wheeler
- producer
- Yves J. Ma
- editor
- Hart Snider
- Janice Brown
- camera
- Ray Harper
- Luben Izov
- Anne Wheeler
- sound
- Ray Harper
- Luben Izov
- Anne Wheeler
- music
- Stu Goldberg
- score performer
- Stu Goldberg
- score recording
- Stu Goldberg
- score mixing
- Stu Goldberg
- vocals
- Jennifer Lauren
- sound design
- Gael MacLean
- sound supervision
- Gael MacLean
- narrator
- Anne Wheeler
- location support
- Luben Izov
- post technical support
- Luben Izov
- additional camera
- Aviv Cuilla
- Orpheo Cuilla
- Ben Ratner
- A.J. Vesak
- Paul Mitchnik
- music clearances
- Found Images Research
- dialogue editing
- Doug Paterson
- re-recording
- Doug Paterson
- foley
- Jeremy Butler
- post coordinator
- Andy Nathani
- colorist
- Achim Kapitza
- titling
- Flavio Bidese
- production coordinator
- Jennifer Roworth
- technical coordinator
- Wes Machnikowski
- production supervisor
- Kathryn Lynch
- marketing manager
- Leslie Stafford
- program administrator
- Janine Steele
- executive producer
- Tracey Friesen
Awards
- Best Short DocumentaryCanadian Screen Awards
- Best Musical Score in a Documentary Program or SeriesLeo Awards
- Best Screenwriting in a Documentary Program or SeriesLeo Awards