The Final Inch
Encyclopedia
The Final Inch is a short documentary
about the effort to eradicate polio
. It was directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky
and focuses on health workers who are on the front lines of the fight to eliminate the disease.
It was filmed on location in Afghanistan
, Pakistan
, and India
, and received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 81st Academy Awards
.
The film debuted on HBO on April 1, 2009. The Final Inch is the first film project of Google.org
, the philanthropic
division of Google
.
The philanthropic division of Google backed the film's production to promote public awareness about polio and to raise awareness about the efforts of public health workers and volunteers fighting the disease in counties around the world. They approached Brodsky about making the film and she accepted the task of educating the public to the ongoing problem.
Many of the movie's scenes were shot in slum
areas of India and Pakistan during "National Immunization Day" in April 2007. Brodsky wanted to include more comprehensive coverage of the polio problem in Afghanistan, but was unable to do so due to the threat of violence and because of social barriers. The production's ability to film in Afghanistan was hampered by increased danger to the film crew. Producer Tom Grant had to wear a bulletproof vest
while filming along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border even while under constant U.N. protection. The crew was often denied access to homes because of familial protocols that forbid a man entering a home with women in it when no husband is present.
, and shows areas where the polio virus is still found in several countries around the world. Without vaccinations it could re-emerge and re-infect regions where it was eradicated decades ago, and the film also notes that the first line of defense is a dedicated and continual effort by international health workers going door-to-door to ensure every child is vaccinated.
The Final Inch shows that there is an opportunity to eradicate polio from India and honors the work of health services and service volunteers. It recalls the devastating polio epidemic
s in the United States that occurred during the 1930s
and 1950s
, and discusses the dangers of a resurgence that still remain in the United States unless the disease is wiped out worldwide. Obstacles to eradication include lack of awareness, the large number of children requiring vaccination, geographical dispersal of the populations, social mores, religious belief
s, and suspicion of domestic and foreign governments. The movie shows that many of those at risk remain ignorant of polio's epidemiology
and believe the disease is "American made", fostering a reluctance to be vaccinated.
's ongoing impact, and was described as a "dramatic testament to those working on the front lines of health care".
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the effort to eradicate polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. It was directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky
Irene Taylor Brodsky
Irene Taylor Brodsky is an American documentary film maker. In her several projects, hers was the job of director, producer, writer, cinematographer and editor.-Background:...
and focuses on health workers who are on the front lines of the fight to eliminate the disease.
It was filmed on location in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 81st Academy Awards
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
.
The film debuted on HBO on April 1, 2009. The Final Inch is the first film project of Google.org
Google.org
Google.org is the charitable arm of Internet search engine company Google.The organization has committed over $100 million in investments and grants as of May 2010. To fund the organization, Google granted them 3 million shares during their initial public offering. As of August 2011, Google.org's 3...
, the philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
division of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
.
Background
The Final Inch focuses on the ongoing efforts to eradicate polio in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The corollary goal of eradicating of worldwide polio has attracted attention, but "getting rid of the last 1 percent has been like trying to squeeze Jell-O to death."The philanthropic division of Google backed the film's production to promote public awareness about polio and to raise awareness about the efforts of public health workers and volunteers fighting the disease in counties around the world. They approached Brodsky about making the film and she accepted the task of educating the public to the ongoing problem.
Many of the movie's scenes were shot in slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
areas of India and Pakistan during "National Immunization Day" in April 2007. Brodsky wanted to include more comprehensive coverage of the polio problem in Afghanistan, but was unable to do so due to the threat of violence and because of social barriers. The production's ability to film in Afghanistan was hampered by increased danger to the film crew. Producer Tom Grant had to wear a bulletproof vest
Bulletproof vest
A ballistic vest, bulletproof vest or bullet-resistant vest is an item of personal armor that helps absorb the impact from firearm-fired projectiles and shrapnel from explosions, and is worn on the torso...
while filming along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border even while under constant U.N. protection. The crew was often denied access to homes because of familial protocols that forbid a man entering a home with women in it when no husband is present.
Synopsis
The film depicts the problems still occurring fifty years after the development of the polio vaccinePolio vaccine
Two polio vaccines are used throughout the world to combat poliomyelitis . The first was developed by Jonas Salk and first tested in 1952. Announced to the world by Salk on April 12, 1955, it consists of an injected dose of inactivated poliovirus. An oral vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin...
, and shows areas where the polio virus is still found in several countries around the world. Without vaccinations it could re-emerge and re-infect regions where it was eradicated decades ago, and the film also notes that the first line of defense is a dedicated and continual effort by international health workers going door-to-door to ensure every child is vaccinated.
The Final Inch shows that there is an opportunity to eradicate polio from India and honors the work of health services and service volunteers. It recalls the devastating polio epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s in the United States that occurred during the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
and 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, and discusses the dangers of a resurgence that still remain in the United States unless the disease is wiped out worldwide. Obstacles to eradication include lack of awareness, the large number of children requiring vaccination, geographical dispersal of the populations, social mores, religious belief
Religious belief
Religious belief is a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny. Such a state may relate to the existence, characteristics and worship of a deity or deities, divine intervention in the universe and human life, or values and practices centered on the teachings of a...
s, and suspicion of domestic and foreign governments. The movie shows that many of those at risk remain ignorant of polio's epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
and believe the disease is "American made", fostering a reluctance to be vaccinated.
Film festivals
The Final Inch was screened in April 2009 at the Salem Film Festival and was described as being "profoundly moving" in its revealing coverage of the polio virusPoliovirus
Poliovirus, the causative agent of poliomyelitis, is a human enterovirus and member of the family of Picornaviridae.Poliovirus is composed of an RNA genome and a protein capsid. The genome is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome that is about 7500 nucleotides long. The viral particle is...
's ongoing impact, and was described as a "dramatic testament to those working on the front lines of health care".
Select list of festival entries
- Salem Film Festival, Oregon.
- Maratea Film Festival, Italy.
Partial cast
- Martha MasonMartha MasonMartha Mason is an American dancer and choreographer, noted for her work in modern dance and postmodern dance. She is currently the artistic director of the Boston based Snappy Dance Theater which she co-founded in 1996....
- Dr. Ashfaq Bhat
- Dr. Larry BrilliantLarry BrilliantLawrence "Larry" Brilliant is an American physician, epidemiologist, technologist, author, and the former director of Google's philanthropic arm Google.org. Brilliant, a technology patent holder, has been CEO of two public companies and other venture backed start ups. From 1973 to 1976, he...
- Dr. David HeymannDavid L. HeymannDavid L. Heymann, MD was appointed Chairman of the Board of the UK Health Protection Agency in April 2009. Prior to this, Dr. Heymann was the World Health Organization's Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment and the representative of the Director-General for Polio...
- Munzareen Fatima
- Mikail Davenport
- Mohammad Gulzar SaifiMohammad Gulzar SaifiMohammad Gulzar Saifi is an Indian educator, community organizer and polio survivor in the north Indian city of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh...
Additional Sources
- BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, "Final Inch towards the Oscars" - IBNIBNIBN or ibn may refer to:In general* ibn, patronymic in Arabic personal names * IBN code page , a Nordic language code page under MS-DOS...
, "Not just Slumdog..., The Final Inch too in Oscar race" - UNICEF, "Academy Award recognition for India’s fight to eradicate polio"
Additional reading
- The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,"Dracunculiasis eradication: the final inch"
- Global Polio Eradication Initiative, "The disease and the virus"