8 Films and 7 Books That Explore the Topic of Lung Health

 [This post has been written by Raül Torán, Science Outreach coordinator at ISGlobal, and Clara Mediñà, fellow of the same unit].

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2022 will take place in Barcelona from 4 to 6 September. In the framework of the Congress, and working together with ERS and the European Lung Foundation (ELF) as part of their Healthy Lungs for Life campaign, the Outreach unit of ISGlobal has coordinated a series of outreach events.

You can scroll down to learn more about all the activities we will be involved in. But first, we want to highlight a selection of films titled “Breathless”, and books that, in one way or another, explore the themes of respiratory and lung health. This selection was curated for the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign as part ERS International Congress by members of the ERS and ELF and the Outreach unit of ISGlobal.

“Breathless” includes the following documentaries and films:

1. Oxygen (Adem). 2010. 98 minutes. Directed by Hans Van Nuffel. This film describes how adolescents deal with cystic fibrosis. Where to watch it: Filmaffinity.
   
2. The bucket list. 2007. 97 minutes. Directed by Rob Reiner. A film about two terminally ill men on their road trip with a wish list of things to do before "they kick the bucket". Where to watch it: YouTube / HBO Max / Prime Video / Filmaffinity.
   
3. The fault in our stars. 2014. 90 minutes. Directed by Josh Boone. Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl who has thyroid cancer that affects her lungs so that she needs an oxygen machine to be able to breathe. One day, during her therapy sessions, Hazel meets Gus Waters, a boy who has managed to fight lung cancer, with whom she soon establishes a friendly relationship. Where to watch it: Disney + / Prime Video.
   
4. Five Feet Apart. 2019. 116 minutes. Directed by Justin Baldoni. In this film, a pair of teenagers with cystic fibrosis meet in a hospital and fall in love, though their disease means they must avoid close physical contact. Where to watch it: Prime Video.
   
5. Every Breath Counts. Documentary. 2014. 55 minutes. Directed by Jonathan Lawhead. Real people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, caregivers, and healthcare providers share how the illness impacts their lives. Where to watch it: Online.
   
6. Breathe. 2017. 117 minutes. Directed by Andy Serkis. Robin Cavendish contracts polio, becoming paralysed from the neck down at the age of 28. Confined to a bed and given only months to live, Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled. Where to watch it: Prime Video.
   
7. La bicicleta de Esther (Only available in Spanish). 2019. 29 minutes. Directed by Ander Duque. A Spanish documentary which portrays the complexities that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) entails through the experiences of a retired couple. Where to watch it: Youtube.
   
8. Ademloos (Breathless). 2018. 75 minutes. Directed by Daniël Lambo. Documentary about the truth on the deadly asbestos industry that endangers the lives of workers and consumers around the world. Where to watch it: Prime Video.
   

Selection of books about lung health

1. A Theatre for Dreamers. Written by Polly Samson. 2020. It features George Johnston, an Australian war correspondent and writer in the 60s. He had TB and died of the disease in 1970. The book features some description of the illness's effects on his health and mental wellbeing.
   
2. Breath Taking: the Power, Fragility, and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs. Written by Michael J. Stephen. 2021. From an expert in pulmonary medicine, the story of our extraordinary lungs, the organ that both explains our origins and holds the keys to our future as a species.
   
3. The Four Winds.Written by Kristin Hannah. 2021. An epic, sweeping tale of love and loss set in the midst of the Great Depression in 1930s America, by the multi-million-copy global bestseller Kristin Hannah – Tell the story of a family, with a great depiction of the impact of dust exposure on the lung health of children.
   
4. Breathing Lessons: a Doctor's Guide to Lung Health. Written by MeiLan K. Han. 2021. In this book, leading pulmonologist and national spokesperson for the American Lung Association Dr. MeiLan K. Han takes readers on a fascinating tour of this crucial organ. She explains the wonder of breathing and reveals how the lungs serve as the body’s first line of defense and provides a timely overview of the latest scientific thinking about the leading respiratory risks―including indoor and outdoor pollution, smoking and vaping, wildfire smoke, and viruses like SARS-CoV-2― offering practical advice on how to protect the lungs at each stage of our lives, beginning in the womb.
   
5. Violeta. Written by Isabel Allende. 2022. Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first daughter in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.
   
6. Apollo's Arrow: the Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live Written by Nicholas A. Christakis. 2020. This book offers a complete vision of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on American society as it unfolded in 2020, and on how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. Drawing on a combination of fascinating case studies and cutting-edge research from a range of scientific disciplines, bestselling author, physician, and sociologist Nicholas Christakis explores what it means to live in a time of plague -- an experience that is paradoxically uncommon to the vast majority of humans who are alive, yet deeply fundamental to our species as a whole.
   
7. When Breath Becomes Air. Written by Paul Kalanithi. 2016. This number one New York Times Bestseller and Pulitzer Prize Finalist is an inspiring, observed memoir that finds hope and beauty in the face of insurmountable odds as an idealistic young neurosurgeon attempts to answer the question: What makes a life worth living?
   

Main Outreach Events at the ERS International Congress

In addition to organizing the Breathless film and book selection, ISGlobal is participating in the organization of the main outreach events of the ERS/ELF Healthy Lungs for Life campaign in Barcelona:

• Free lung function testing event. Experts on lung health will do free lung function testing for the general public at Pl. Universitat, Barcelona. Organized by ERS and the ELF Healthy Lungs for Life campaign and the collaboration of ISGlobal. Day and time: Saturday, September 3rd, from 11 am to 7 p.m.
• Talk at the Golferichs Civic Center: The importance of a good lung health. Informative talk to discuss why it is important to have good lung health and how we can improve respiratory health. What are the most common diseases of our lungs? How can we take care of them? What environmental exposures should we avoid? Place: Golferichs Civic Center (face-to-face + online broadcast). Day and time: September 6 at 7 p.m. Speakers: Dra. Maribel Casas and Dra. Elena Gimeno, ISGlobal researchers. Moderator: Raül Toran, science outreach responsible at ISGlobal. The session will be in Catalan. There will be 20 minutes of talk each and then a 30-35 minute discussion with the audience.
• Selection of books and other materials at the Agustí Centelles Library. The library will select books, films and other materials to show the importance of having good lung health. The selection could be checked at the 3rd floor of this library. Place: Biblioteca Esquerra de l'Eixample - Agustí Centelles (Comte d'Urgell, 145, 08036 Barcelona). Day: from 2 to 6 September, 2022.
• Workshops at Schools. We will develop workshops at schools, as a pilot project, to inform about the importance of having good lung health for life. We will target 4-7 schools in Barcelona. We have defined 3 age groups (6-8 yrs, 8-10 yrs, 10-12yrs), which fit into cycles 1, 2, and 3 of the Spanish school system. We will develop information and activities for all of these groups. October - November 2022

More information

ERS International Congress 2022

Healthy Lungs for Life campaign

Selection of films (trailers) about lung health, Breathless