Movie directed by John Zaritsky
©2012 Optic Nerve Films Inc.
ISAN 0000-0003-4327-0000-6-0000-0000-J
This award winning documentary explores the complex issues of genetic testing for Huntington's Disease by following three families that have been affected by HD. Some individuals in the documentary have chosen to be tested and some have chosen not to be tested. I think it does a good job of presenting the pros and cons of testing, as well as discussing the issues that can be present with either a positive or a negative test result.
It also explains the use of IVF (in vetro fertilization) with PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) which can be used to make sure a child born of a parent who is at-risk or gene positive will not have Huntington's Disease. This procedure can be used without disclosing the genetic status of the parent, if the parent doesn't want to know his or her status but wants to make sure the child will not have the disease.
I higly recommend this film for anyone who is considering getting tested for HD. I also recommend it for people who have recently discovered Huntington's Disease in their family or who just want to learn more about the disease. I think it does a good job of presenting what the disease looks like. It shows actual people who have Huntington's Disease, in some cases quite advanced.
There were times when I had tears in my eyes watching this movie, but overall, I felt like it was uplifting. Unfortunately, it is only available for purchase in Canada right now, but it will be available in the United States on iTunes. More information and trailer are available at:
http://www.doyoureallywanttoknowfilm.com/
Created and maintained by Renette Davis. Send comments to Renette by clicking here.
Created: April 16, 2014
Last updated: April 18, 2014