Media advisory
May 6, 2019 - Montreal - National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Bevel Up, an award-winning documentary and learning resource to help healthcare workers deliver compassionate care to people who use drugs, is available for the first time as free online harm-reduction content at NFB.ca.
Created in 2007 by the outreach nursing team from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Bevel Up is designed to give students and instructors in the healthcare field access to the knowledge and experience of pioneering practitioners, as street nurses in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside deliver nonjudgmental, compassionate and trauma-informed healthcare to people who use drugs.
More relevant than ever in light of Canada's current overdose crisis, Bevel Up has been designed in a multifaceted format ideally suited to the web and social media sharing, with 10 educational playlists that include:
- the original 45-minute documentary;
- 40 additional clips that illustrate key issues and contain interviews with the experts-people who use drugs, as well as healthcare practitioners;
- a 100-page Teacher's Guide;
- a total of 4.5 hours of content.
Honours for Bevel Up to date include the British Columbia Provincial Health Officer's Award for Excellence in Public Health, the American Academy of Nursing Media Award, and the award for Best Original DVD at the Entertainment Industries Council Prism Awards, recognizing efforts to raise awareness about recovery, addiction and treatment.
Bevel Up is a co-production of the BCCDC and the NFB, with financial support from Health Canada (HC) and the BC Nurses' Union. It was created in collaboration with Canada Wild Productions Ltd. and directed by acclaimed award-winning filmmaker Nettie Wild.
This digital relaunch of Bevel Up has been made possible by the original partners and with the additional support of the British Columbia Women's Hospital & Health Centre, as well as the participation of the University of Victoria's Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) and the Vancouver Community College (VCC).
A note on language:
People who use drugs often experience stigma in the healthcare system, and this creates barriers that prevent them from accessing care. Since the film was created, we've come to better understand that language matters when it comes to stigma. To deliver effective care, healthcare professionals should use non-stigmatizing and people-first language such as "person who uses drugs" instead of drug "user," a term that appears in the original film's sub-title: Bevel Up - Drugs, Users & Outreach Nursing.
About the NFB
The NFB is Canada's public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB producers are embedded in communities across the country, from St. John's to Vancouver, working with talented creators on innovative and socially relevant projects. The NFB is a leader in gender equity in film and digital media production, and is working to strengthen Indigenous-led production, guided by the recommendations of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. NFB productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 24 Canadian Screen Awards, 21 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 100 Genies. To access NFB works, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for mobile devices.
