| Why is Canada still mining asbestos when we don't use it ourselves? Breathtaking: a personal investigation into the present-day use of asbestos Directed by Kathleen Mullen, 43 min. Breathtaking takes on the asbestos industry through a moving and personal investigation into the death of Kathleen's father from Mesothelioma, and the confounding present-day use of asbestos that continues to exact a human toll. Valued since pre-history and commercially mined since the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was nicknamed the 'magic mineral' for its fabric-like properties and its capacity to protect against fire, and was used in everything from brake pads to oven mitts. After it was discovered to be carcinogenic, asbestos use was banned from use in many countries and limited in others. But Canada, along with Russia and several other countries, still mines asbestos and exports it for use in developing nations. With moving clips of her dying father's legal testimony, family photos, and Super 8 home movies as a narrative springboard, Mullen takes the audience on an investigative journey from her family's home in British Columbia to Quebec, India and Detroit, painting a global, yet still personal picture of the many lives affected by the continued use of asbestos. For more information contact breathtakingfilm@gmail.com, www.kathleenmullen.com/breathtaking |
