On the Fence Films, founded by technology entrepreneur Stuart E. Browning and lawyer Blaine Greenberg, says it is working to create a new breed of political documentary that informs, entertains, and considers points of view different from those offered by The New York Times, CBS News, and other major media outlets.
Toward that end, On the Fence Films has produced Dead Meat, a 25-minute short film documenting the reality of health care under Canada’s socialized medical system. “Canadians wait, and wait, and wait … and sometimes they die while waiting for free government health care,” explains Browning. Dead Meat debuted at the Liberty Film Festival in West Hollywood, California on October 21, 2005.
Before his unexpected death in March 2005, Heartland Institute Senior Fellow Conrad F. Meier, managing editor emeritus of Health Care News, was actively involved with the On the Fence Films crew in producing the documentary. Many other proponents of consumer-directed health care reform–including David Gratzer of the Manhattan Institute and Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute–also worked on the film.
“Dead Meat will be compulsory viewing for all Americans who have a love affair with a Canadian-style single payer system,” said Pipes.
The filmmakers are currently in production on a feature-length film addressing health care in the United States and Canada, slated for release in late 2006.
Dead Meat is available in Windows Media, QuickTime, and Apple iPod Video formats at http://www.onthefencefilms.com/video/deadmeat/.
Diane Carol Bast ([email protected]) is executive editor of Health Care News.
Diane Carol Bast is a former member of The Heartland Institute’s board of directors.
