The Sensitives
In Drew Xanthopoulos' intimate and cinematic documentary, we meet Joe, a patriarch whose illness is so all-encompassing that he's unconcerned about his long-suffering wife; and twin brothers Sam and Nathan, musicians who can no longer breathe outside of their real-life sterile "plastic bubble," and whose mother, Karen, developed her illness when she was only 17 years old. These characters all have devastating environmental sensitivity. The cause is unknown, but the actuality of the impacts on these people is evident. Susie Molloy, a quiet firebrand who is chemically sensitive herself, steps in to assist. Those suffering from this modern ailment have found an advocate in her, whose purpose is to de-stigmatize this community, and Xanthopoulos has developed a film that is as delicate as its title suggests in presenting their tales. Cusumano Cara