World Premiere
Dr Gabor Maté has become one of the world’s most influential thinkers about addiction, trauma and childhood development on the back of books like In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, The Myth of Normal and When the Body Says No. He’s pioneered the idea of Compassionate Inquiry as a therapeutic approach, and worked for over a decade on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
In Asher Penn’s Physician, Heal Thyself Dr Maté shares not only his theories, but also his personal story: his difficult early childhood in Hungary, immigrating to Canada, his experience as a journalist for the Ubyssey, and his early reputation as a contrarian. Maté candidly discusses his own struggles with pain, his complicated behaviours and fractured relationships. Physician, Heal Thyself offers hope and comfort, encouraging us to own our failings, share our struggles, and accept our imperfections.
October 5 & 6: Q&A with director Asher Penn & crew
Series Media Partner
Gabor Maté
Canada
2023
Insights
English
Drug & Alcohol Abuse
At SFU Woodwards
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Shannon Walsh
Producer
Asher Penn
Screenwriter
Asher Penn
Cinematography
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Lee Petry
ANIM
Greydon Luterbach, Salome Siktank
Editor
Liam Sherriff
Original Music
Kara-lis Coverdale
Director
Asher Penn
Over the past 15 years, Asher Penn has conducted, edited and published over 150 interviews with cultural figures ranging from William Gibson to Grimes. He is the producer of the experimental documentary Maggie Lee’s Mommy. Physician, Heal Thyself is his first feature film.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
Sasha Waters' documentary takes us through the life of America's best-selling late twentieth century poet, a private woman who shared her innermost thoughts and made them indispensable.
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg's gripping war movie was hailed as an instant classic in 1998, and he won his second Academy Award in five years for Best Director. Matt Damon takes the title role, Tom Hanks is charged with bringing him home from the front.
Palimpsest: The Story of a Name
Drawing on home movies and diaries from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s, Canadian filmmaker Mary Stephen (Eric Rohmer's editor for many years) investigates the origins of her surname. After all, she was born in Hong Kong to Chinese parents. Or were they... ?
Buffalo '66
Vincent Gallo's directorial debut is an eccentric, provocative comedy which laces a poignant love story with both a sombre, washed-out naturalism and surreal musical vignettes. This one is something different...
Run Lola Run
In the hyper intense world of pre-millennial Berlin, Lola has just 20 minutes to come up with a 100,000 Deutchmarks or her boyfriend cops it. He's asking the right woman: Lola won't stop til she's saved the day... It's Speed, in the multiverse...
