Life or Death - EMT First Responders

The First Wave

November 2021 •English

When Covid-19 hit New York City in 2020, filmmaker Matthew Heineman gained unique access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospital systems. The resulting film focuses on the doctors, nurses, and patients on the frontlines during the “first wave” from March to June 2020. Their distinct storylines each serve as a microcosm to understand how the city persevered through the worst pandemic in a century

Chief Rabbi's Emergency Council

October 1947 •English

Poignant postwar appeal for Britain’s Jewry to support orphaned Jewish children rescued from Europe.

Faces of Death II

May 1981 •English

Brief scenes of death related material: mortuaries, accidents and police work are filmed by TV crews and home video cameras. Some of it is most likely fake, some not as much.

101 Near Misses

October 2020 •English

From heart-stopping close shaves and averted disasters to incredible brushes with danger, this show counts up from 1 to 101 to feature some of the most unbelievable near misses of all time.

Un jour ça ira

February 2018 •French

Djibi and Ange, two teenagers living on the streets, arrive at the Archipel, an emergency shelter in the heart of Paris. This documentary is a look at the Archipel, a shelter offering an innovative way to welcome families living on the streets.

77777

January 1955 •Czech

Mr. Death

June 2016 •Norwegian

An exclusive interview with Death as he goes about his everyday business.

24|7|365: The Evolution of Emergency Medicine

January 2013 •English

An accident occurs and we dial 911, an ambulance arrives and we are taken to a fully equipped Emergency Room staffed with specifically trained Emergency Room Doctors. Forty years ago, that was not the case. How did we get here? Our film explores the dramatic history of modern Emergency Medicine, told by its maverick founders, in their own words. The historic take on the specialty allows us to contrast where Emergency Medicine is today with where it began, not too long ago.

93Queen

April 2018 •English

Set in the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, "93Queen" follows a group of tenacious Hasidic women who are smashing the patriarchy in their community by creating the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City. With unprecedented-and insider-access, "93Queen" offers up a unique portrayal of a group of religious women who are taking matters into their own hands to change their own community from within.

A & E: When Patients Attack

January 2015 •English

Hospital staff are reporting more violence and anti-social behaviour than ever before. In 2015, 8 staff were assaulted every hour – a new record high. At The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham – one of the UK’s biggest hospitals – they think they have the answer. Here a private security force of 46 uniformed guards, and a sophisticated CCTV system, keep staff and patients safe. A colourful mixture of characters ranging from ex-soldiers, to bouncers, to former elite sportsmen, it’s the security team’s job to keep the hospital running smoothly. With more than 2 million visitors they have to deal with all aspects of crime and anti-social behaviour. All against a back drop of life changing and life saving procedures.

Life in the Fast Lane

September 1981 •English

Information film about freeways, their interchanges, and driving safely on them.

Hell's Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films

June 2003 •English

This film covers the early history of post World War II educational films, especially those involving traffic safety by the Highway Safety Foundation under direction of Richard Wayman. In the name of promoting safe driving in teenagers, these films became notorious for their gory depiction of accidents to shock their audiences to make their point. The film also covers the role of safety films of this era, their effect on North American teenage culture, the struggle between idealism and lurid exploitation and how they reflected the larger society concerns of the time that adults projected onto their youth.

Le Mans 55, une tragédie française

April 2024 •French

The Le Mans race in 1955 made history through tragedy when more than 80 spectators were killed. Uncover the story of the crash that took the lives of so many and, to this day, looms over the world of motorsports.

Midnight Family

March 2019 •Spanish

In Mexico City's wealthiest neighborhoods, the Ochoa family runs a for-profit ambulance, competing with other unlicensed EMTs for patients in need of urgent care. In this cutthroat industry, they struggle to keep their financial needs from compromising the people in their care.

Behind the Life of Chris Gaines

November 1999 •English

To promote the release of his album Garth Brooks in... The Life of Chris Gaines, Garth Brooks appeared as Chris Gaines in a television "mockumentary," a version of VH1's seminal cable classic Behind the Music, featuring a totally made-up tale that just may be the greatest rock n' roll documentary ever made. This piece of art has everything that makes the story of being a rockstar fucking cool. It has childhood trauma, record label trauma, death, disfigurement, a plane crash, a car crash, sex addiction, redemption, a house fire, random unexplained commentary from Billy Joel, and more sex addiction.

The Stork Pin

September 2021 •English

When desperate times call for desperate measures, 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Officers are available to help with the complexities of childbirth and the delivery of babies.

Dear Brother

November 2019 •German

Markus Becker is hit by a car, dragged along, his head bashed on a curb and he falls into a coma. The doctors don’t believe that the 45-year-old will survive the next five to ten days. His father makes preparations for the funeral. Markus’ brother Michael refuses to accept this fate and begins an extraordinary battle. In his brother’s apartment he seals Markus’ clothes to preserve the smell. He records the neighbors’ voices. Every day, Michael exposes his brother to things that are familiar and films everything that is part of Markus’ life with a DV camera. He wants to keep him in his world and to bring this world to his bedside. He documents every step of Markus’ development, risking his own life in the process, wishing that his brother will one day regain the ability to lead a normal life. This full-length documentary accompanies Michael Becker for 10 years on his unwavering and creative mission to bring his brother Markus back to life.

Sofia's Last Ambulance

May 2012 •Bulgarian

Bumpy are the pot-holed roads of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. Doctor Krassi, nurse Mila and driver Plamen fly over them daily at break-neck speed. Together the three form one of 13 ambulance teams providing assistance to over two million people. They zoom around the city on double shifts from one emergency to the next. Ilian Metev’s camera is not aimed at those in need of help – their dignity remains preserved. He focuses instead upon the rescue team Krassi, Mila and Plamen and their wild rides across the city on a never-ending battle with time – a feat almost impossible without humour. The ambulance team fight against a ramshackle health system with passion, selflessness and sometimes near resignation. Ilian Metlev accompanied the trio for more than two years to find images that make poetry of the human figure and this depiction of reality.

Driving to the Edge

April 2012 •French

Between 2007 and 2011, 725 Quebecers aged 16 to 24 were killed in car accidents. Excessive speed and alcohol were involved in half of these deaths. To try to understand what is going on in these young drivers' heads when they get behind the wheel, host and documentary filmmaker Paul Arcand met with some of them. On one hand, he gives a voice to these young people who love driving fast. On the other hand, he provides a forum for two accident victims who were injured both physically and psychologically. Finally, the director meets the mother of little Bianca Leduc, who was killed by a drunk driver while she was in the care of her babysitter, and the parents of Michael Borduas, 23, who is severely disabled from an accident.

2Doc: What Are We Doing?

September 2023 •Dutch

In 2022, 92% of those affected encountered aggression or violence. Frans Bromet portrays six influences who encounter violence while carrying out their work. The violence with which the actual consequences are, leaves personal physical, especially mental, traces.