UNNATURAL CAUSES
Parts 1, 2 & 3

A Documentary Film Series by California Newsreel

UNNATURAL CAUSES DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE ROOT CAUSES OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS AND HELPS REFRAME THE DEBATE ABOUT HEALTH IN AMERICA. ECONOMIC AND RACIAL INEQUALITY ARE NOT ABSTRACT CONCEPTS BUT HOSPITALIZE AND KILL EVEN MORE PEOPLE THAN CIGARETTES. THE WAGES AND BENEFITS WE'RE PAID, THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE LIVE IN, THE SCHOOLS WE ATTEND, OUR ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND EVEN OUR TAX POLICIES ARE HEALTH ISSUES EVERY BIT AS CRITICAL AS DIET, SMOKING AND EXERCISE.

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 (Piedmont)

Parts 2 & 3: When the Bough Breaks & Becoming American

Schedule for All Showings

About Unnatural Causes....

Part 1, In Sickness and in Wealth: What connections exist between healthy bodies, healthy bank accounts, and skin color? Four individuals from different walks of life demonstrate how one’s position in society, shaped by social policies and public priorities, affects health. In Sickness and in Wealth examines not just health care but what makes people sick in the first place.  Why do poor people die, on average, 5-10 years earlier than their wealthier neighbors? Why does the rate of serious disease correlate remarkably to wealth? You will be surprised by the findings of the researchers who asked these questions – and the documentary made to reveal their results to the public.

Part 2, When the Bough Breaks asks, "Why do African American infant mortality rates remain twice as high as for white Americans? African American mothers with college degrees or higher face the same risk of having low birth-weight babies as white women who haven't finished high school.  How might the chronic stress of racism over the life course become embedded in our bodies, and those of our children?

Part 3, Becoming American: Recent Mexican immigrants, though typically poorer, tend to be healthier than the average American. But the longer they live here, the worse their relative health becomes, even as their economic status improves. This is known as the Latino “paradox.” Their children are especially at risk – for obesity, heart disease, and mental illness. What is it about new immigrant communities that shields people from poor health? How can we all learn and benefit from that knowledge? And what erodes this protective shield over time?

 
Click here to see the official film website.