As Valentine’s Day approaches, heart-shaped paper cutouts and candies are everywhere, as are cards waxing philosophical about love’s impact on the actual heart. We talk so much about the heart as an abstract concept — as if it’s a thermometer for romance — it’s easy to forget that the heart is an organ that is genuinely capable of breaking.
A newly released trailer for Susan Froemke’s “The Resilient Heart” reminds us of how important cardiac health is through one man who fights for it every day: Dr. Valentin Fuster, the Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of Mount Sinai Hospital.
“I began my career with research on a disease that already was becoming the number one killer: heart attacks,” Dr. Fuster says in the trailer. After building his career in the U.S., Fuster realized that cardiovascular disease is a global issue and expanded his efforts. That’s when the magnitude of the issue truly sunk in.
“Our goal is to develop concepts in different regions of the world to really promote health on a much larger scale — this changed my life,” Fuster explains.
According to the doc’s synopsis, “The Resilient Heart” examines Dr. Fuster’s work around the world. “Through his research and travels, Dr. Fuster discovers that the real answer to fighting chronic disease lies in early education,” it details. “‘The Resilient Heart’ follows Dr. Fuster as he travels to Eldoret, Bogota, Grenada, Madrid, and Harlem, where he encounters the profound impacts of coordinated global health initiatives, proactive public policy, and the passion of people to better the health and well-being of populations, no matter the circumstances.”
In an interview with Women and Hollywood, Froemke, whose previous credits include “Lalee’s Kin” and “Escape Fire,” discussed how documentary filmmaking is a more welcoming place for women directors. “We are fortunate in the documentary world,” she shared. “Women have always been at the forefront of nonfiction film making. It is a wonderful community and continues to thrive through changes in technology and societal issues.”
Froemke’s latest documentary, “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman,” premiered recently at Sundance.
“The Resilient Heart,” which is currently in post-production, will hit theaters in spring 2017. You can check out the trailer below or the film’s official website.
