“It is possibly my most important film,” shares director David Nicholas Wilkinson who is the subject of this documentary.
The film follows the filmmaker, who, after receiving the devastating diagnosis of stage 4 bowel cancer, began a deeply personal investigation into a disease that is increasingly affecting younger people across the UK and Ireland, with the hope that what he discovers might one day help save lives.
David’s journey challenges some of the most dangerous and persistent misconceptions surrounding bowel cancer, including the belief that it is primarily an older person’s disease, or that it will always reveal itself through visible blood in the stool.
Featuring patients, surgeons and oncologists – including a bowel surgeon who was herself diagnosed with the disease at just 44 – it explores the symptoms that are too often missed, the realities of modern treatment, and the critical importance of early diagnosis.
An NHS nurse specializing in administering colonoscopies who features in the film was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at 37 years old. She had no symptoms whatsoever. So many young people are not diagnosed until it is too late for a cure.
The film will be released in UK cinemas as part of cancer charity Maggie’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations. Proceeds from select theatrical screenings will be donated to Maggie’s, which provides free expert cancer care and support to people with cancer and their loved ones through centers across the UK and online.
“1 In 2′ is my most personal film yet, dealing with my terminal cancer diagnosis, and because so many in the medical profession have said it will save lives, it is possibly my most important film. The only charity I filmed, because I think they’re the best, is Maggie’s, founded in Scotland 30 years ago, and I am honored that they have agreed to be the recipient of the box office income from cinema screenings in their anniversary year.”Wilkinson continues.
