Heartbeat

Since the 1960’s we cannot be absolutely certain that we are going to live our whole lives with the same heart. The French documentary “Heartbeat” covers the topic of heart transplants. We are offered various points of view on this “body pump” replacement. The core of the film consists of interviews with the patients and their families, the families of the donors and last but not least, with the doctors. The testimonies express various emotions; doubt as well as guilt, pain and joy. Step by step, the film explores all aspects of the process, which does not start or end with the surgery itself. In order to fully understand the journey from the malfunctioning heart to the healthy heart of another person, we are offered a reenactment of the story of Julien and Maud, in which we see the situation from the point of view of the donor and his family as well as the recipient. Through archive footage we learn about the history of cardiac surgery and about the functioning of the cardiovascular system, as shown by the CGI visualizations. The aim of the (non)-fiction film is to present the complex issues involved in saving one life at the expense of another. (Academia Film Olomouc)