National Gallery of Art

Originally published in 1980, The Cancer Journals by author and poet Audre Lorde realigned the discussion and cultural perception of illness, particularly breast cancer. Open and unapologetic, Lana Lin’s The Cancer Journals Revisited features passages from Lorde’s essays and reflections spoken aloud by contemporary women who have lived or are living with cancer, including the filmmaker herself. Followed by first-person testimonies, each story reflects the power of Lorde’s insights, as well as how little public attitudes have changed in the decades since the publication of her book. Lin reveals cancer as a continuing metaphor for disparities across race, class, and sexual identity that influence and shape our health. This film inaugurates a series focusing on women in film, coinciding with the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. (Lana Lin, 2018, 98 minutes)