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Short
Joshua Isaac, a young husband, father and writer, documents his experience dealing with reoccurrence of epithelioid sarcoma—a rare, cancerous tumor.
Medium
In My Left Hand, Joshua Isaac, a husband and father to two young boys, documents his experience dealing with reoccurrence of epithelioid sarcoma—a rare, cancerous tumor initially found in the palm of his left hand six years prior. He explores his emotions, doubts, fears, and faith in God and Judaism as he endures chemotherapy, radiation, and the amputation of his left hand. Through a dark descent into the trials of a cancer patient, the film ends by ultimately celebrating life.
Long
My Left Hand begins at the bris, or ritual circumcision, of Joshua’s youngest son Sam. Through poetic and touching first-person narration that guides us through the film, we learn about Josh’s challenge with death he’ll face only months after this celebration of life. In the scenes that follow, we are introduced to Josh's wife, Kim, his parents-- videotaped during the first occurrence in 1998, who we learn passed away in the last few years from their own illnesses--his doctors, his family, and himself. We also understand the dynamics of this lethal cancer.
Josh then begins a year of various treatments, starting with two rounds of in-patient chemotherapy, which we shortly learn have no effect on the cancer. He then prepares for amputation of his left of hand. The surgery sequence is perhaps the most touching but also holds the most suspense as we wait to learn the results of a lymphnode biopsy that will determine if the cancer has spread. Josh returns to life with the help of occupational therapists and a prosthetic.
But unfortunately, we find out at a doctor appointment that the cancer spread. Josh goes on to tackle high-dose radiation and the painful burns caused by the treatment. He then endures four months of outpatient chemotherapy. Through this time, life continues with his children growing older. Peppered throughout the movie are interviews with Josh, his family, his doctors, spiritual leaders, and other patients he has met along this journey.
More than a year after the treatments began and a few months after the last chemo treatment, Josh gets a clean bill of health on his latest MRI and CT scan. Josh lives with the knowledge that this cancer can come back at any time, and he will deal with being an amputee. Despite all this, Josh ends this movie singing with a spirit of hope and joy.
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