WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY (22 MINUTES):
A Typical Heart is a documentary exploring the deadly disparity between male and female heart disease, through the lens of healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, and their families.
Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death among women. Yet 53% of early heart-attack symptoms in women are missed. More women have been dying of heart disease than men since the 1980s, but it’s still thought of as a man’s disease. Paramedics are taught to look for the “atypical symptoms” of women’s heart attack: like nausea, abdominal/neck/back pain. But why are these symptoms called “atypical” when women are more than half the population? This gender gap affects thousands of women. How did we get here? And how do we fix it?
Additional Resources
Carolyn Thomas’ Heart Sisters Blog
Film Screening Events & Updates
2021 REEL SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL
April 26 – May 3, 2021 | The 2021 Festival is presented online due to Covid-19.
We are excited to announce that A Typical Heart has been accepted into the Reel Shorts Film Festival!
The Reel Shorts Film Festival celebrates short films and filmmakers by screening gems of storytelling brilliance from around the world and across Canada. Their festival aims to entertain, educate, and engage audiences and to grow the filmmaking community in the Peace Region of northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia by inspiring, developing, and showcasing its filmmakers. Grande Prairie’s annual week-long short film festival brings together filmmakers and audiences to watch the best short films from around the world.
2019 MEETING OF THE MINDS CARDIAC CONFERENCE
Sept. 16, 2019
The Dorchester,
Park Lane
London, UK
We were thrilled to screen the film for top cardiologists and experts at this exclusive event.
The 2019 Meeting of Minds brought together leading Cardiologists, Academics, Researchers, Clinicians, Medical Professionals and Patients to share and exchange knowledge and information, to further understanding, inform research, and to discuss and try to address unmet needs in Coronary Artery Spasm, Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction and Microvascular Angina. A Typical Heart screened as part of this one-day event. You can learn more here. Special thanks to Maria George for arranging this screening!
PREMIERE SCREENING: VICTORIA, BC
10am – Sat., Sept. 7, 2019 inVictoria, BC
St. George’s Church,
3909 St. George’s Lane,
Cadboro Bay, Victoria, BC
This FREE Saturday morning event included the first public screening of “A Typical Heart,” followed by a panel discussion featuring three of the heart patients interviewed for the documentary:
- Laurie Blakeley (Port Alberni) who survived a heart attack caused by a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)
- Zamira Vicenzino (Victoria) who passed a full physical “with flying colours” just one week before suffering a heart attack caused by five blocked coronary arteries
- Carolyn Thomas (Oak Bay) who was misdiagnosed with acid reflux in mid-heart attack and sent home from the ER despite her “textbook” heart attack symptoms
Special thanks to Carolyn Thomas for organizing this event!
HEART & STROKE FOUNDATION, ACLS TRAINING
Ongoing, 2020
We are thrilled that the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation has been screening A Typical Heart for paramedics and other healthcare professionals participating in ACLS training. We have already heard that this has resulted in diagnostic interventions on real patients that may have not otherwise happened. Thank you so much to Heart & Stroke for helping us share the film with medical professionals.
According to Heart & Stroke: “Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) is the pre-eminent resuscitation course for the recognition and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies. This advanced course builds on the foundation of basic life support (BLS) skills and takes healthcare provider training to the next level. Learners can expect practice and training in high-performance team dynamics and communication, systems of care, immediate post-cardiac arrest care, acute dysrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes. Learn to become a practiced and strong member or lead an ACLS team with this important training program.”
FREE SCREENING: CALGARY, AB
6pm – Thurs., Nov. 7, 2019
Libin Lecture Theatre | Health Sciences Centre | University of Calgary
Calgary, AB
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in Canada, claiming a life every 20 minutes. Globally, one in three women will die as a result of heart disease or stroke.
Join us for a screening of the film, “A Typical Heart”, a documentary exploring the disparities between male and female heart disease by healthcare professionals, researchers, patients and their families. There will be a discussion and Q & A with local experts and patients to follow the screening. We will serve light snacks, coffee and tea.
Special thanks to the Libin Institute for arranging the screening.
Contact Us
For Media Inquiries or to Arrange a Screening
Contact us if you’d like to arrange a local screening of the film for a group or at an event or conference: info@thedistillery.film
We’ve had requests to screen the film for healthcare institutions, medical conferences, patient advocacy groups and even private businesses. We can provide video files, a little bit of promotion, and maybe can help facilitate a connection for a visiting speaker or discussion. We are always happy to get the film screened for more people.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
A Typical Heart
22 Minutes
A Distillery Film Company Production
Funded by:
TELUS STORYHIVE
A Typical Heart is made possible with funding from STORYHIVE and is available for free on TELUS Optik TV On Demand
Produced with Mentorship Support of:
National Screen Institute
Credits
Directed by
Chris Beauchamp
Laura Beauchamp
Produced by
Cristina D’Alessandro
Laura Beauchamp
Chris Beauchamp
Written by
Cristina D’Alessandro
Chris Beauchamp
Edited by
Gordie Haakstad
Original Music by
Chris McIntyre
Cinematography
Chris Beauchamp
Laura Beauchamp
Production Manager
Sarah Jane Card
National Screen Institute Mentor
Connie Edwards
Medical Consultant
Dr. Ed O’Brien
Interviewers
Chris Beauchamp
Cristina D’Alessandro
Research
Cristina D’Alessandro
Illustrator
Robin Sissons
Motion Graphics
Gordie Haakstad
Post-Production Sound
Chris McIntyre
Additional Cinematography by
Bryan Harris
Los Angeles Camera Assistant
Ryan McBay
Production Sound
Laura Beauchamp
Sound Assistant
James Beauchamp
Still Photography
Beauchamp Photography
Legal Counsel
Linda Callaghan, Ackroyd LLP
NSI Project Managers
Elise Swerhone
Shelly Quade
STORYHIVE Project Manager
Kristy Assu
Featuring
Heather Evans
Karyna Parsons
Grace Dierssen
Laurie Blakely
Zamira Vicenzino
Cynthia Culhane
Carolyn Thomas
Christina Stuwe
Dr. Noel Bairey-Merz
Dr. Jacqueline Saw
Dr. Tara Sedlak
Dr. Kara Nerenberg
Dr. Doreen Rabi
Dr. Bobby Heydari
Dr. Ed O’Brien
Donna Hastings
Cristina D’Alessandro
Special Thanks
Our STORYHIVE Pitch Supporters
Connie Edwards
Kelly Johnston
Rusty McColl
Skyler Evans
Patrice Lindsay
Anita Pieterse
Dominique Mongeon
Austin Headley
Donna Hastings
Shaun Cathcart
Smita Acharyya
Sally Stewart
Ava Karvonen
Davide D’Alessandro
Byron A. Martin
The D’Alessandro Family
Vj Bala
Emily Glazer
Anna Rybalko
Tania Stirpe
Dr. Sharon Mulvagh
Shirley Zhu
Emmanuel Evdemon
Rose Lopetrone
Ellen Ross
Anne Guilfoyle
Suzan Bianchi
Rebecca Graham
Towagh Behr
Dawn Smith
Linda Ellis
Milada Pajevic
Tiffany Akins
Trish Merrithew-Mercredi
Ernie Urdal
Andrew Busch
Ashkan Parsa
Ashleigh Brabbins
Grace Ehrlich
Howard Paje
Joanne Gamache
Katie Kim
Lucie Gravelle
Naomi Robinson
Satwant Grewal
Mike Bourree
Lily Monette
Ken Schoepp
Amanda Frayn
Rob Barone
Dale Miller
Ira Parsons
Danny Murphy
Kate B. Parsons
Felicity K. Parsons
Claire Parsons
Landon Culhane
Sven Stuwe
Memphis Stuwe
Maureen Gardin
Suzanne Bell
Cloe Cameron
Carolyn Parkes
Mathew Mosveen
Liam Uganecz
Justin Lam
Ber Gulbrandsen
Karen Evans
Pat Johnson
Eileen Pepler
Robin Stone
Cini John
Yong-Xiang Chen
Catherine Diao
Nadia Maarouf
Jingti Deng
Samantha Toker
Raj Sharma
Jacqueline Flewitt
Patricia Feuchter
David Patchell-Evans
Laurie Irwin
Robin Sissons
Graham Beauchamp
Kelli Thachuk
Dean Thachuk
Lorraine Shack
Heath Gerhardt
Alexa Gerhardt
Liam Gerhardt
Jim Gerhardt
Linda Gerhardt
Julie Gerhardt
Terry Scerbak
Sheila Briody
Petra Tribo
John Tribo
Donna Guptell
Additional Special Thanks
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
Vancouver General Hospital
Leslie Diamond Women’s Heart Health Clinic
University of Calgary
Cumming School of Medicine
Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta
GoodLife Fitness Calgary South Pointe
York Region Paramedic Services
Toastmasters International – Rise and Shine Club #331
Bean Around the World, Victoria BC
Penny Farthing Public House, Victoria BC
Grande Prairie Regional EMS Foundation
Copyright 2019 – The Distillery Film Company Ltd. All Rights Reserved.