"Decoding Annie Parker": Canadian Premiere of Movie on Breast Cancer

September 19, 2013 has witnessed the Canadian premiere of a film about breast cancer, Decoding Annie Parker, in London Ontario, featuring a star-filled cast including Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton, for American director, writer and producer Steven Berstein. The film will be released in cinemas in the New Year. It falls under that kind of philanthropy called "Filmanthropy". Read more and watch the trailer.




The film was premiered in London Ontario this Thursday to an enthusiastic audience and it aimed at benefiting breast cancer research and care at St. Joseph Health Care.


This is where it got the badge of honor as being a filmanthropy.

Filmanthropy: Sort of a mix of philanthropy (love of people) and film.

Decoding Annie Parker is a filmanthropy, here is what the official film website says about their humane enterprise:

"A new model for socially and politically aware films to establish an audience and give back to the people and organizations that inspired them. Filmanthropy is designed to foster a mutually beneficial partnership between a firm and a charitable organization to support their mutual interests. We are proud to partner with corporate sponsors and cancer organizations around the worlds as we launch our feature film, Decoding Annie Parker. We hope to entertain, inform, educate and activate our audience, creating a campaign of goodwill and hope that will leave a lasting legacy" (2).    

The story revolves around 2 amazing women (one is Canadian) and genetic discovery that touches women around the world. The title woman, Annie Parker, who lives now in Brampton, inspired the movie. She was among the first women to be diagnosed positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation.




The other significant woman is Mary-Claire King, played by actress Helen Hunt. King is the incredible American geneticist who tracked down the genes responsible for breast and ovarian cancer. She believed in the relation between those cancers and inherited genes before anybody else did and through hard work and dedication achieved her goal.




The trailer of the film opens with her saying to a committee that she marked her clock at 12 minute intervals with pink tape because that's how often women die of breast cancer in this country.

The film gains an added significance and attention in the news media due to the recent Angelina Julie mastectomy due to carrying the same gene in question. Her incidence will have prepared the audiences to watch a movie that underscores this sensitive topic.  

Director and writer Berstein says, "the essence is about human courage, it's about the affirmation of life. And interestingly even though it's about cancer, it's about humour. It's about how humour and irony gives us a certain strength that we don't think we have" (1).   

 

According to CTV News, the screening at Westmount Cinemas "will not only raise awareness of breast cancer, it will raise money to support the Diane Graham Memorial Fund for breast cancer screening at St. Joseph's." Needless to say the premiere tickets in London Ontario were fully sold out!

Watch the trailer here: 

Don't forget, movie plays in cinemas everywhere in the New Year. Look for it to support the filmanthropy and breast cancer research! 

Sources:
1- CTV News: http://london.ctvnews.ca/canadian-premiere-of-movie-about-breast-cancer-held-in-london-1.1462182
2- Decoding Annie Parker: http://decodingannieparkerfilm.com/

First Image: 
Decoding Annie Parker: http://decodingannieparkerfilm.com/

Still Images:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ODlgvRvLEtU

Video:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ODlgvRvLEtU