Rage Against the Darkness

Rage Against the Darkness is a Canadian documentary film, directed by John Kastner and released in 2003.^[1] The film profiles Bunny and Leona, two elderly sisters whose relationship changes radically when they must enter long-term care, but by circumstance are placed in two separate institutions instead of together.

Rage Against the Darkness
Directed by	John Kastner
Screenplay by	John Kastner
Produced by	John Kastner Deborah Parks
Cinematography	Douglas Pike John Westheuser
Edited by	Greg West
Music by	Bruce Fowler
Production company	J.S. Kastner Productions
Distributed by	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Release date	May 1, 2003 (2003-05-01) (Hot Docs)
Running time	230 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English

The film was inspired in part by Kastner's mother Rose, who was deeply afraid of having to enter a nursing home before her death in 1983.^[1] It was originally commissioned by CBC Television as an episode of the documentary series Witness, although the network found the film so strong that it was instead turned into a standalone short run documentary series.^[2] The episode centred on Bunny and Leona screened theatrically, while the television-only episodes profiled the experiences of Gert Stevenson, Phillip Rowley and Helen Beck as they also either lived in or desperately tried to avoid the elder care system.^[3]

The film premiered at the 2003 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival,^[4] and the television version was broadcast by CBC Television from September 15 to 19, 2004.^[3]

Awards

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival	2003	Best Canadian Feature Documentary	John Kastner	Won	[5]
Gemini Awards	2005	Donald Brittain Award	John Kastner, Deborah Parks	Nominated	[6]
		Best Direction in a Documentary Program	John Kastner	Nominated
		Best Photography in a Documentary Program or Series	Douglas Pike, John Westheuser	Nominated