Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien

Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien is a 1996 American short documentary film directed by Jessica Yu. It won an Oscar at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997 for Documentary Short Subject.[1][2]

Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien
Film poster
Directed byJessica Yu
Written byJessica Yu
Produced byJessica Yu
StarringMark O'Brien
CinematographyShana Hagan
Edited byJessica Yu
Production
companies
Inscrutable Films
Pacific News Service
Distributed byFanlight Productions
Release date
  • 1996 (1996)
Running time
35 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mark O'Brien was a journalist and poet who lived in Berkeley, California. The documentary explored his spiritual struggle coping with his disability; he had to use an iron lung much of the time due to childhood polio. O'Brien died on July 4, 1999, from post-polio syndrome.[3]

Cast

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  • Mark O'Brien as Himself
  • Elizabeth Duvall as Herself
  • Ian Berzon as Himself

References

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  1. ^ "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  2. ^ "New York Times: Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  3. ^ "Mark O'Brien's web site". Mark O'Brien's site. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011.
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