On March 22nd a thought provoking and romantic film was finally released into the cinemas. Five Feet Apart is a Hollywood movie based on characters Stella and Will (Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse), both hospital patients battling with a genetic disorder called Cystic Fibrosis. This movie was filmed in a hospital and the actors used all hospital equipment to show what sufferers often use during treatment. Throughout this movie the audience is reminded that patients with this disease should stay at least 6 feet apart from each other to prevent bacteria passing to the other. However due to their romance, they risk the chances of infection and stay ‘Five Feet Apart’. I believe an aspect of Cystic Fibrosis that was well tackled in the movie is the idea of a terminal illness and how you don’t know which day will be your last, which made the characters live each day with as much enthusiasm and fun as possible.
As this film is representing a serious and terminal illness, lots of the actors and everyone involved in the movie needed to be aware of this topic. In order for the film to give the audience an accurate representation of Cystic Fibrosis, the filmmakers partnered with Claire’s Place Foundation. The founder of this foundation, Claire Wineland, was an activist and author. Claire suffered from Cystic Fibrosis and sadly passed away in September. She documented parts of her life on her YouTube channel and was extremely inspirational. I recently watched her documentary and she said “You will never be happy with what you get, unless you are happy with what you have”. I was inspired by her positivity even in the hardest of situations and this statement made me feel extremely grateful for my health.
Moreover, Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder which affects mostly the lungs but also many other parts of the body such as the liver, pancreas and intestines. In the UK, about 1 in 25 people are a carrier of the Cystic Fibrosis gene mutation and if 2 people who were carriers of Cystic Fibrosis had a baby, the chance of the baby having this disease is 1 in 4 (25%). Therefore it means that over 2 million people in the UK are a carrier of the gene for Cystic Fibrosis. In the UK there are over 10,400 who have this disease and you are born with CF and cannot catch it later on in life. Cystic Fibrosis is where the body creates extra thick mucus which leads to blockages in the pancreas ducts, intestines and bronchi which usually results in respiratory problems. The life expectancy for people with Cystic Fibrosis is late 30s and early 40s yet depends on the severity of the person’s condition.
The new movie ‘Five Feet Apart’ will hopefully raise more awareness about Cystic Fibrosis and help people learn more about this frightening disease that many people have to suffer with daily. I strongly encourage you to watch this movie.
