“Life is for the Living,” a documentary by a student filmmaker with an introduction by alumnus and former CBS newsman Mike Wallace, will premiere this week in Ann Arbor.
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The free showing will be at 7:30 p.m. March 12 at the Michigan Theater.
After the film, student filmmaker Michael Rubyan will lead a Q-and-A session with stem cell biologist Dr. Sean Morrison, Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Edward Goldman, and former U.S. Congressman Dr. Joe Schwarz.
Rubyan, a pre-med junior majoring in film, created the documentary to highlight the importance of moving forward on promising medical research that can save lives.
“Stem cell research is one of the most misunderstood biological endeavors in our medical landscape today,” Rubyan says. ” ‘Life is for the Living’ was created to educate the public about the complex issues surrounding embryonic stem cell research. The film seeks to explain the issue from four different perspectives, the people, the politics, the science and the hope.”
The film tells the stories of six American families living with the painful realities of juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury, set against the national debate over embryonic stem cell research.
As the debate continues in Washington, D.C., and across the country, three generations reveal their challenges, frustrations with the president’s policy and the hope that more funding for embryonic stem cell research will lead to new treatments and cures to relieve their suffering and save their lives.
“Life is for the Living” also explores the science behind stem cell research and the political debates taking place across the nation. The film includes interviews with the nation’s leading scientific researchers — including Morrison, director of the Center for Stem Cell Research, political leaders including U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, and patient advocates.
The premiere is co-sponsored by the Activities Center and the Center for Stem Cell Biology. Donations will be accepted to help pay to nationwide distribution of the film.
To view the trailer go to www.lifeisfortheliving.org.
