Outside In
A Film by Katherine Deutch Tatlock
Executive Produced by Katherine Whipple Clark, M.D.
Outside In is an inspiring documentary about the resiliency of the human spirit, a heroic David and Goliath story told by an energetic young doctor, Katherine “Kasia” Clark.
Diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer at age 42, Kasia was suddenly faced with the mind-boggling survival odds of only 1-2 years. Ten years later, Outside In reveals her dynamic fight to reclaim body and soul, following Kasia from hospital bed to exam rooms and doctor consultations, as she trains for triathlons, makes art movies with her mother, and wins a hefty malpractice suit against the doctors who missed her diagnosis. She takes us through the glory of remission, the agony of recurrence and beyond, seeking answers to profound questions from the unique point of view of a doctor-turned-patient – How can I save myself? Who can I trust? Who am I now? How do I choose to live? Must I prepare to die?
Through frank discussions with her new team of medical doctors, psychiatrist, physicist father, artist mother, schizophrenic sister, and good friends, Kasia exposes her fears, longings, and hopes. She challenges herself emotionally and physically with risky rock climbs, rigorous swims, vertical ski slopes. She speaks in an articulate, angry, and determined voice. She finds solace in art and nature, vindication in the law, spiritualism in music, and empowerment in filmmaking.
While relying on evidence-based medical treatment and her own experience as a doctor, Kasia steps out of the box to save her life, redefining her identity, professionally and personally, physically, emotionally, and sexually. She leaves her longtime partner and home in the country to rediscover herself with new people and places, experimenting with mind/body therapies and radical nutritional regimens, always pushing herself physically to solve the mystery of, “How can I be sick if I’m getting stronger?”
Outside In was filmed over nine years and draws from 170 hours of footage, film clips, home movies, still photos, artwork, and clippings. Enhanced by an eclectic, exciting music score, the film reflects the nature and rhythms of a fascinating individual from the “outside in.” Viewers are left to ponder Kasia’s future, along with fresh thoughts and feelings about healing, identity, and their own way of life, guided by the wisdom of Henry David Thoreau: You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.
FYI: Nearly five years after the completion of Outside In, Kasia is again in remission, feeling lucky to be living a rich and fulfilling life and shining a unique light on surviving and thriving.
Reviews
★★★"Katherine Deutch Tatlock’s nine-year-project documents one woman’s unique approach to receiving a cancer diagnosis. ...Clark’s take-no-prisoner attitude will surely inspire some viewers...Recommended.”—Video Librarian
"In her early forties Dr. Katherine ("Kasia”) Clark, received a diagnosis no woman wants to hear—advanced ovarian cancer. This film project documenting her experiences over the ensuing nine years was undertaken as both a record of the journey to help others as well as a creative form of therapy. That the subject is tough is undeniably true, as demonstrated throughout her fierce struggle to live her life on her own terms, not just as a patient, and certainly not as a victim. She is very frank, however, about the challenges—physical and emotional—of dealing with this insidious and unpredictable cancer. Interspersed with footage of her commentary are interviews with family, friends, doctors and therapists. The fact that Clark is herself a family physician also adds an interesting twist, particularly in her embrace of complementary therapies as a patient. Ultimately this filmed journal plays like a battle between two dogged fighters—Clark and cancer. Although the documentary ends
inconclusively, the money is on Clark." Educational Media Reviews Online
"Very powerful...very direct, intimate and personal. It certainly raised my consciousness to certain important patient issues that I was not previously sensitive to as I focus on the much easier issues of providing traditional medical care." Dr. John Saltzman, Gastroenterologist, Director of Endoscopy Brigham and Women's Hospital
"A remarkable film, very truly inspiring. People need to hear [this] story, not only as a personal journey, but also as a cautionary tale." Andrew Solomon, Author The Stone Boat
"A remarkable accomplishment! Kasia is a surrogate for millions of people who have shown heroic resolve and resilience in the face of terrifying experiences and uncertainty." Deborah L. Levy, PHD, Director Psychology Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital
"It's a powerful and important film that I think has a lot to teach, especially to women. Kasia's life force and discipline are remarkable." Sandra Schulberg, Film Producer, Founder of Independent Feature Project
"As a physician, Outside In gave me the perspective of a patient struggling with a life threatening disease. As a fellow physician, it made me think about what it's like to switch places, being on the receiving end of treatment. As a psychiatrist, it inspired me to ponder upon the various meanings of 'treatment refusal.' As a woman, I found myself thinking about issues of body image, fertility, femininity and societal norms. As a human being, I was simply touched. What an important and inspiring piece of work!" Orit Avni-Barron, MD, Director of Mental Health at The Fish Center for Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital
"I am very moved by it. It is a documentary that should be seen by a lot of people; both for the information and the relevance of the emotional journey. Through you, we learn about ourselves. Outside In is skillfully made, certainly skillfully structured...my congrats to everyone involved in the project." Michael Glassbourg, Professor Film & Television, Humber College
Awards & Conference Screenings
Official Selection, 2012 Western Psychological Association Film Festival
2011, Hippocrates International Health Film Festival, Greece
2010, Winner of 7 Telly Awards
2009, Commonwealth School Film Festival
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