American Heart - a documentary film

AMERICAN HEART
about the film about the filmmakers blogs & writings press kit discussion guide & more

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OFFICIAL TRAILER

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Did you see American Heart? Would you like to share a comment or weigh in on some of the issues confronted in the documentary? Submit a comment here, and we'll try to include it on our soon-to-be-launched discussion page.

LOOKING FOR THE DISCUSSION GUIDE?

You'll find a Discussion Guide and lots of other American Heart resources downloadable for free at our partner website.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

Online Aug 9 - Sept 8: If you missed the official nationwide re-broadcast of American Heart on the PBS series America ReFramed, you can catch it streaming for free at the PBS website through September 8.

August 29, Des Moines, IA: The Iowa Department of Health hosts a screening of American Heart at Des Moines University. Director Chris Newberry scheduled to attend for a post-screening Q&A and panel discussion.

September 21, Minneapolis, MN: Director Chris Newberry has been invited to present American Heart and participate in a discussion at the University of Minnesota's Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility.

October 28-29, Utica, NY: American Heart has been invited to serve as the featured film in the 2016 UNSPOKEN Human Rights Film Festival.

December 8, St. Paul, MN: American Heart will screen at the University of St. Thomas, hosted by Student Diversity and Inclusion Services. Program will include a post-screening discussion.

LATEST NEWS

A big thanks to the Marine-on-St.-Croix Film Society for screening American Heart and hosting director Chris Newberry and some of the film's stars to kick off the new year!

Thanks to everyone who tuned in last year for our official nationwide broadcast on the PBS World Channel!

Check out the guest blog post on HealthAffairs.org written by American Heart director Chris Newberry: "How Paid Family Leave Would Have Made Life Easier for One Family"

Check out this thoughtful piece on American Heart which ran in the St. Paul Pioneer Press in January 2015.

past editions of e-newsletter

ABOUT THE FILM

Seven years in the making, this award-winning documentary takes viewers on an intimate journey into the lives of three refugees who now call America home. At the center of it all is a remarkable health clinic tucked away in St. Paul, Minnesota, which serves as a crossroads for these embattled refugees and their devoted doctors.

We get a glimpse of the failing health and remarkable lives of Thor Lem, a former political prisoner from Cambodia; Patrick Junior, a member of an oppressed ethnic minority in Burma; and Alex Gliptis, an Ethiopian refugee suffering from PTSD, diabetes and HIV. The health care challenges they face are daunting, made more complicated by the trauma they carry from the past. Throughout the course of the film, they all face life-threatening health emergencies, and their trajectories prove surprising even to their doctors.

On the heels of a successful film festival run, where the film took home six documentary prizes in all, American Heart accepted invitations to screen at Global Health events around the country including a Washington DC symposium convened by the U.S. State Department. American Heart enjoyed a nationwide television broadcast on the PBS series America ReFramed in 2015, and the film received a regional EMMY® Award in the Topical Documentary category.

American Heart is directed by Minneapolis filmmaker Chris Newberry, edited by St. Paul’s Bill Kersey, and executive-produced by Melody Gilbert. The HealthPartners Center for International Health, in St. Paul, serves a diverse population of refugees and immigrants from around the world.

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"American Heart"
feature-length documentary
copyright Free Country Media
2016