Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, a new three-part documentary presented by Ken Burns, will air on NPT at 8 p.m. nightly, March 30 through April 1. Directed by Barak Goodman, the film is based on Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book by the same name.
We are marking the occasion in a number of ways.
NPT producer Shawn Anfinson created three short videos highlighting local people who are involved with cancer research, survivorship or volunteerism.
The videos feature people connected to our three partners in a preview event for Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies: Dr. Carlos L. Arteaga, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Felice Apolinsky, Program Director for Gilda’s Club Nashville; and Ray Bell, a longtime volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program.
These are currently being shown on NPT and are also on our YouTube channel.
We will also broadcast the following ancillary programs highlighting aspects of the cancer story:
Monday, April 5, at 11:30 p.m. Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies – A Conversation is a talk between Ken Burns; Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee; and Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and CEO of presenting PBS station WETA and a cancer survivor. Katie Couric (Yahoo! News), co-founder of “Stand Up To Cancer,” moderates.
Thursday, April 9, at 11 p.m. No Evidence of Disease highlights a rock band made up of six gynecologic oncology surgeons from across the country. (The band’s name comes from the four words every patient prays to hear, “No Evidence of Disease”.) Originally created as a cover band to entertain their peers at a medical conference, the group turned into an awareness movement to give a voice to women affected by gynecologic cancers.
Monday, April 20, at 11:30 p.m. Another documentary focuses on using music to help cancer patients. Kids Rock Cancer documents a program of music therapy in which children write and record original songs in their hospital rooms and then record a CD for their families to keep.