3 out of 5 stars (average)
I like small-scale shorts like Second Winds. Running just under 15 minutes, it’s a condensed yet enjoyable look at 3 people living with a form of leukemia and how it affects their lives. If that sounds maudlin or depressing, I’m happy to report that the short and its subject take an honest yet optimistic approach to the subject, acknowledging the initial shock of their diagnoses, but working to live the best lives they can with the new set of cards they’ve been dealt.
We follow Christina, Alejandro, and Jeff, 3 individuals who have lived with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for various amounts of time. Whether diagnosed in childhood or later adult life, each one has done the best they can to accommodate the challenges of the disease, but not let it keep them from living their fullest and most active lives. Through the support of family, friends, and medical treatments, our subjects fight their battles every day, but still remember what matters most to each of them.
Second Winds won’t break the world open, but I appreciate stories about people fighting through life’s curveballs and coming out on top. The short gives balanced time to each person, shows the similarities and differences between them to highlight how the disease could affect anyone, and manages to get across the hardships it brings without getting mired in sadness. It points out how everyone with the disease will experience it differently, but that it isn’t an automatic death sentence. As luck would have it, the 3 people interviewed for this documentary happened to be in good shape and loved being outdoors, so while it would have been nice to interview at least one person who fell outside of that category for some variety, seeing and hearing the present subjects’ resilience and determination to come out on top was solidly inspiring. I hope each one continues on their good paths and am happy to have seen a snapshot of their stories. Second Winds is a brief but uplifting short about the power of perseverance in tough times that gets in, gets out, and leaves you feeling good.