Nurse.Fighter.Boy tells us we will get three stories. The boy Ciel (Daniel J. Gordon) is with his mother, the nurse Jude (Karen LeBlanc). Jude is getting treatment for sickle cell disease. Silence (Clark Johnson) is a boxer well past his prime who fights illegally to make a living.
Jude and Silence end up in a relationship; he becomes a father figure for Ciel.
Ciel is very responsible for his age. His mother works nights and he takes care of himself. The boy and his mother have a strong relationship.
The film is very quiet and not just because Silence has that name. The story is about real life. This isn't a documentary but you feel like you are peeking in on real people.
The film was a collaboration of 2 directors we admire. Charles Officer directed the film and Ingrid Veninger produced the film. Officer and Veninger co-wrote the screenplay.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy has a good use of music and space to build intimacy, especially between the nurse and her boy.
The relationship within the three intensifies as the film rolls along. We don't want to give any spoilers.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy also features Araya Mengesha, Walter Borden, Elizabeth Saunders, and Ndidi Onukwulu.
You will be nicely rewarded if you can handle a quiet film with real people.
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The film was released commercially in 2009 and premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy received 10 Genie Award nominations at the 2010 Genie Awards, winning for original song Oh Love from John Welsman and Cherie Camp.
video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media
photo credit: Nurse.Fighter.Boy film
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