WEDU PBS Presents Advance Screening of Ken Burns Documentary, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies

TAMPA, Fla. - March 10, 2015 - PRLog -- CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES, a three-part, six-hour documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Barak Goodman and executive produced by Ken Burns, will air on WEDU PBS March 30-April 1, 2015, however fans of the historic storyteller, can get a sneak peak of the new series followed by a discussion at Tampa Theatre on March 23, 2015 beginning at 7:00pm.

The screening event, which includes preview segments of the documentary, is part of a comprehensive national engagement campaign in collaboration between Florentine Films, Laura Ziskin Pictures, WETA, Ark Media, Stand Up to Cancer and an array of other project supporters, and is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer (Simon & Schuster 2010). WNYC, New York City’s flagship public radio station and premier producer of local and national programming, is the official radio partner.

Ken Burns said, “My work as a filmmaker is directly linked to the death of my mother from cancer when I was 11. From the age of three, I watched her suffer and struggle with this awful disease, forever creating for me a desire to explore the past and to listen deeply to the stories that we all have to tell. I was frightened and exhilarated by Sid’s book and thrilled by Sharon’s suggestion that we collaborate to turn this remarkable accomplishment into a film.”

Along with the preview screening event, WEDU PBS will also dedicate an evening of prime-time broadcast programs to cancer awareness.

“We felt it was important to mark the premiere of this ground-breaking documentary by sharing stories from our local community, so we have dedicated March 19^th beginning at 8:00pm to cancer awareness,” stated Allison Hedrick, WEDU Vice President of Communications.  “WEDU’s local programs including WEDU Arts Plus, Up Close with Cathy Unruh, and the premiere of Kids Rock Cancer will touch on art, heart and science of cancer.”

Barak Goodman, who in addition to directing the film serves as the series producer, observed, “This is such a rich, historic and still tragic story that it challenges us as filmmakers every day. But it is also a moment of great optimism that at last we may be turning the tables on this disease. I want people to come away from our film with less fear and more hope about the future of cancer.”

Tickets for the advance screening of Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies are free and can be reserved online at: www.wedu.org/cancer.

Funding for the screening event was provided in part by a generous grant from WETA.

PROGRAM NOTES:

Thursday, March 19 at 8 p.m.

WEDU Arts Plus

In this edition of WEDU ARTS PLUS, aiming to raise awareness about cancer and its effects, see how body painting helps to cover scars above and below the skin for breast cancer survivors in St. Petersburg. Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center prescribes the therapeutic power of the arts through its Arts in Medicine Program, offering a special kind of healing. Wisconsin painter Chuck Weber realizes his creative talent after getting a serious diagnosis. And photographer Petronella Ytsma captures the devastating effects of dioxin and Agent Orange on the Vietnamese and Vietnam veterans.

Thursday, March 19 at 8:30 p.m.

Up Close with Cathy Unruh

The America Cancer Society estimates that half of men and one third of women in this country will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime.  It is only second to heart disease as the most common cause of death.  But some new types of innovative and nontraditional treatments, research, and funding are making a real difference in remission rates and quality of life for patients.  Many of those breakthroughs are happening right here in the Tampa Bay Area.  Join host Cathy Unruh with a roundtable panel of doctors, businesspeople, and cancer survivors as they discuss new options for patients.  Cancer is treatable and many patients are successfully living full lives.

Thursday, March 19 at 9:30 p.m.

Kids Rock Cancer

St. Louis, MO filmmakers reveal the inspiring impact music therapy has on pediatric cancer patients and their families. The Maryville University initiative plays a unique role in the lives of children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases. KIDS ROCK CANCER follows this group of dedicated faculty and staff who are using music therapy to promote physical and emotional healing when used as a complementary therapy. The film is narrated by nationally-renowned broadcaster Bob Costas.

Monday, March 30 at 9 p.m.

Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies

This three-part film tells the comprehensive story of cancer, from its first description in an ancient Egyptian scroll to the gleaming laboratories of modern research institutions. The six-hour film interweaves a sweeping historical narrative with intimate stories about contemporary patients, and an investigation into the latest scientific breakthroughs that may have brought us, at long last, within sight of lasting cures. CANCER: The Emperor of All Maladies airs March 30 – April 1 at 9 p.m.