A Lion in the House

Tim, Justin, Alex, Jen, and Al are all patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where a dedicated team of caregivers supports and treats patients with pediatric cancer. Filmed over six years, this unflinching film lays bare the experiences of these five young people, and their families, who are battling a cruel and relentless disease. We witness the toll of weeks and months spent living in the hospital, the wrenching side effects of chemotherapy and surgery, and the difficult decisions around end-of-life care. Powerfully, the film also documents the community of oncologists, nurses, social workers, and psychologists at Cincinnati Children’s. We see the deep connections they form with their patients, the pressure of determining treatment options, and the difficult conversations that occur when those options have run out. The possibility that these children may die weighs heavily throughout the film, but directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert reach beyond the anguish to reveal the dignity, resilience, and compassion with which these children, and their families and caregivers, are living. (Full Frame Documentary Film Festival)