Educational Media Reviews Online

Robin Greenspun’s documentary follows a young woman as she deals with a severe case of Crohn’s Disease. The film is told from Dana’s point of view as she has to make the decision to keep going with her current treatment plan, or decide on a more complicated procedure.

Dana Marshall-Bernstein is a 25 year-old that was diagnosed with Crohn’s at the age of 4. She has spent more time in hospitals than the average person, and has to deal with a rigorous course of doctor visits and medications in order to simply function. But despite all of this, she maintains a light-hearted disposition and deals with medical setbacks with humor, giving herself the nickname “Ostomy Girl.”

Greenspun captures Dana’s experiences with clarity, offering the viewer a rare look into this condition. Dana’s self-depreciating humor allows a touch of levity in an otherwise very serious situation. Greenspun captures the difficult decisions that patients with chronic illness, such as Dana, have to make on a daily basis.

Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl is highly recommended, and suitable for audiences high school aged through adults. This documentary will be a useful resource for many different course settings, such as nursing, medical and allied health, as well as sociology and social work. The narrative story telling will be beneficial for healthcare providers, as it shows the kind of things their patients have to face.