Liver Failure And Failed Living on Maori TV

Publicity Release
for Release Mon May 16 To Sun May 22

Liver Failure And Failed Living on Maori Television

Itzik Abramov is a theatre student and a trance party organiser. He’s young, he’s down for a kanikani at the drop of a hat and he’s in love with life. Itzik also has an enormous malign tumour in his liver. Whether he lives or dies remains to be seen on the international documentary GOOD VIBES, screening on Maori Television on Tuesday May 17 at 8.30 PM.

This gutsy 2003 Israeli documentary depicts a story of a will to live against the backdrop of broken dreams. Itzik discovers his plight after he feels strange pains in his stomach and a subsequent Catscan reveals his death knoll. Itzik’s only choice is to find a live liver donor and without one, he is given a pithy two months to survive.

Enter Yaniv Kendell. A 27-year-old religious settler and married with children, Yaniv volunteers his help upon hearing Itzik’s story on the local radio station in Haifa. He is ready to help and the only common ground shared by the unlikely pair is a desire to save and be saved.

This 50-minute film about a young man and his optimism towards his own death premiered at the Haifa International Film Festival and went on to feature at a number of international events, including the Syracuse International Film Festival where it won the Director’s Citation Award.

Touching and meaningful, the documentary has a powerful message for New Zealanders. At any one time 400 New Zealanders are awaiting an organ transplant and in 2003, the Transplant Donor Co-ordination Service recorded 40 live organ donors. Painting a bleak picture for the survival of transplant patients in this country, the reality of the emotional and contentious issue of organ donation is eloquently conveyed in the documentary.

GOOD VIBES screens on Tuesday May 17 at 8.30 PM.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR GOOD VIBES

Censor : Adults Only (AO)
Duration : One hour documentary
Language : Hebrew language with English language sub-titles

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