Running Time: 52 & 49 mins
Year: 2004

synopsis

In the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, the last remnants of bacteriophage exist – tiny viruses that kill bacteria. A tantalizing alternative to the growing impotence of antibiotics, the obscure bacteriophage may be the mightiest weapon left in our modern arsenal against infection.

This is a long forgotten Canadian discovery, protected by a handful of equally desperate Russian doctors and scientists. And while their lab stutters on intermittent electricity and funding, Western entrepreneurs circle like vultures, looking for a return on the millions they have to invest.

The Killer Cure reveals the catastrophic consequences of our reckless misuse of antibiotics. It investigates the strange story of the phage and the attempts by Western scientists and entrepreneurs to unlock its potential. It follows the moving story of desperately ill patients, untreatable in the West, who seek help from phage specialists half a world away. And it poses the question: Is this the miracle we so desperately seek, or just another blind alley?

Killer Cure is the personal journey of desperate men and women in search of a medical miracle – at the intersection of hype, hope and heroics.

Credits

A film by Lindalee Tracey

Produced by White Pine Pictures & Films À Trois,
in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Discovery Health Channel, France 2,
with the participation of The Canadian Television Fund, Telefilm Canada: Equity Investment Program, CTF: Licence Fee Program, Rogers Telefund, The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit,
Le Centre National de la Cinématographie, Avec la participation du Ministère délégué à la Recherche, A Canada-France Co-production