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Breathe: Battle with Cystic Fibrosis

A day in the life of a Cystic Fibrosis patient.

My wife Kari and I made this short film chronicling a day in the life of living with Cystic Fibrosis - a chronic lung disease she was born with that affects 70,000 worldwide (without a known cure). After just 25 short years on this earth, Kari passed away. Her legacy will never be forgotten, and her fight, joy and determination for life can never be taken away.

I am proud to be her husband, and I am blessed to have had such an amazing friend and collaborator in life. This is for her.

"Generator ^ First Floor"
Written and Performed by Freelance Whales
Permission granted for use in this film

  • Bradley Bjornstad
    Director
  • Bradley Bjornstad
    Writer
  • Kari Karr Bjornstad
    Writer
  • Kari Karr Bjornstad
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 2, 2015
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Sony a7S
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.30:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Bradley Bjornstad

My name is Bradley Bjornstad. I was born in Eugene, OR September 2, 1989. I am a writer/director and have been in love with film and television since before I can even remember. I grew up idolizing Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and films such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Aladdin, Toy Story, The Goonies, Gremlins and other classics. It was actually the movie Jaws that made me want to be a filmmaker, (I first saw it when I was 3-4 years old) and I wanted to make movies ever since. When I received a letter and signed picture from Steven Spielberg at 10-Years old, I knew that filmmaking was going to be my life.

I am an Editor and Director who was graduated from the University of Oregon with a film degree in Cinema Studies. I started my own video production business in Eugene, Oregon in June 2014 - Thru the Reel Films. I have professional experience creating short films, documentaries and promotional videos across Oregon. I have produced promotional videos for jazz clubs and recruitment films for community colleges and rehabilitation centers. My most meaningful project has been producing a short-film with my beautiful wife Kari called "Breathe: Battle with Cystic Fibrosis" for Cystic Fibrosis awareness. The film was made to encourage people to support research in Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening disease which took Kari's life. I have been humbled to see that the film has been picked up and used by many Cystic Fibrosis organizations, and has helped people around the world gather an understanding of the disease.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film is very important to me - my most meaningful. My wife Kari - whom stars in this short - and I are very proud of the finished film. Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic and life threatening disease that Kari was born with. It affects 70,000 people worldwide that does not yet have a cure. This film was meant to educate and inspire people not only about this chronic disease, but to help inspire hope to those battling something that affects them deeply on any personal, mental or physical level.

We wanted to make sure that as well as telling a meaningful story that symbolizes the very real struggles of this disease, that we told the story in an artistic and meaningful way. We wanted the film to have a strong cinematic presence with the way we painted the film in not only it's composition and final color grade, but with the use of light. By playing with different depths of field, the bokeh of the lights in the night sky, or the glowing lights of the machinery in the hospital, we tried to create a unique world that hopefully holds peoples' attention and draws them into the story.

Kari and I wanted this film to stand out as not only telling a personal and meaningful story, but to tell that story in a way that blends real life struggle with cinematic art. In my opinion, moving pictures gather peoples attention in ways nothing else can. Telling a story in a visual format can really grab peoples’ attention in ways the written word cannot, and that's what we aimed to do. In the end, nothing is more important than the story, and trying to get out the message of the very real need to help find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

I will always be humbled and grateful for the time on this earth I shared with my beautiful wife before she passed away from CF last August. My favorite projects were the ones I created with her - this film being the most meaningful of them all. Kari is my muse and I will always cherish our collaborations more than anything in this world. She is my motivation to continue fighting for and pursuing my dreams in filmmaking. I have never wanted to do anything else. Steven Spielberg (both my childhood and present-day hero) once said, "I dream for a living." I am happy to say that with your help and support with this project, I will get to live and experience that same dream.

Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy the film as much as we enjoyed making it.

Best wishes,
Bradley Bjornstad