Customer Reviews

No Hair Day: Laughing (and Crying) Our Way Through Breast Cancer [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"No Hair Day" is not about plot development, story line, or action. Rather, this is a film about character. As Debbie, Libby, and Carol, three women with breast cancer, slowly shed wigs, clothing, and inhibitions, we are priviledged to see their inner beings revealed.

Through the double lenses of Elsa Dorfman's enormous Polaroid camera and that of the filmmaker, we watch and listen as the women share their stories. All three are undergoing chemotherapy and struggle with the emotional and physical (hence the title) impact of the disease. They manage to find strength and comfort in their bond, and so do we.

For all women who are wives, mothers, daughters, and friends, who have had breast cancer or know someone who has, this is an important and life affirming film. When asked on camera "How has cancer changed your life?" Debbie first laughs, then cries. I did too.

A friend of mine wouldn't watch this because she thought it would be too upsetting. No, no, no. Here are three women giving life all they've got -- and a fourth, Elsa Dorfman, taking her trademark giant Polaroids of them in dozens of poses and guises -- as the video cameraman, Dorsey's husband, captures it all. Of course it's not all happy talk (this is cancer, after all), but it's real and joyful and absolutely riveting. Even better the second time around.

A personal, engaging video about losing your hair to chemotherapy, "No Hair Day" shows three women on a photo shoot talking about their diagnosis, chemotherapy, and how cancer has changed their lives. We watch as one woman goes to the hospital and receives chemotherapy and another as she reads her poem about losing a breast. All together, the intimacy and vitality in this video creates a more uplifting and complex depiction of life with cancer than I've ever seen. I would highly recommend this video to anyone going through it or anyone who knows someone going through it.

Bob Burns and Debbie Dorsey have teamed up to create an extraordinary documentary valentine for anyone who has suffered with their own or a family member's bout with cancer. When this husband-and-wife production team was faced with Debbie's breast cancer, Bob's camera and Debbie's editing skills became a powerfully cooperative tool of communication and healing. This loving tale of several women coming to grips with the loss of their hair post-chemotherapy is the compelling tale of survivors with a breathless sense of humour and of wonder. Thank you to everyone involved for so nimbly sharing such powerful life lessons.

Three women fighting breast cancer spend a day at photographer Elsa Dorfman's studio, posing for her large-format Polaroid camera while they laugh, cry, tell bad jokes, make fun of themselves, and reveal their hearts. Whether or not you have cancer or know anyone who does, this story will inspire you to live your life fully. I know that sounds trite, but the energy, spirit, and grace these three women display truly makes this one worth seeing. It's upbeat without being dishonest, true without being preachy, and educational without being didactic. I'd like to grow up to be like these three.

No Hair Day is a tribute to three particular women (Debbie, Libby, and Carol) but also to all women living with cancer. The ability to find joy in the midst of so much pain, to acknowledge reality while seeking hope, to laugh through tears is memorable.
Debbie Dorsey, a film maker, made this wonderful video happen. Soon after she lost her hair to breast cancer chemotherapy, she called well-known portrait photographer, Elsa Dorfman, to offer her " A Present...Three Bald Women." The three women, who had become friends at their support group, spent a remarkable day with Elsa filming their journey.
This video will help any woman living through cancer feel less alone. You will be exhilirated by time spent with Debbie, Libby, and Carol and gain strength, insight, and practical ideas for your own journey.

This is an indredibly compelling video that brings together three women who got to know each other through their experience with breast cancer. It is a window into the world of chemotherapy and all that comes with it. This documentary highlights a part of their journey, mainly through connection, sharing and humor. I highly recommend it!

No Hair Day is a "Must See" documentary film for cancer patients, their families, friends and anyone who supports them through the ordeal of cancer. It focuses on the human side of cancer: the tears, the laughter, the power of a positive
attitude. The three women, Debbie Dorsey, Libby Levinson, and Carol Potoff, all breast cancer patients, share their thoughts and fears and humor as they participate in a photo shoot of themselves--3 bald women from chemotherapy. Elsa Dorfman,
the portrait photographer and Bob Burns the videographer are masters at capturing the bravery, beauty and dignity of 3 bald women with cancer. This is a "must see."

Having laughed and cried my own way through my wife's bout with cancer, this video is a genuine reminder of the valor and heroism needed to live through and transcend the impact cancer has on all around you. It is heartening to see friends enjoy each other so much knowing they walk a knife-edge. This is an essential and hopeful video and should serve as a welcome companion during dark and uncertain times. The courage and spirit of these brave women point us all to cherish a hopeful present and to engender a never-give-up attitude on life, one day at a time.

As the daughter of one of the survivors featured in this video, I may be biased in my opinion of this documentary. "No Hair Day" is a candid, touching and at times confrontational story that tracks how three women experience living with breast cancer. They reveal a range of emotions from fear and anger to irreverence and insouciance that women and families dealing with this disease will undoubtedly identify with.