The Waiting Room

In 2017, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, the filmmaker decided to document their experience in waiting rooms, during surgery, and while undergoing chemotherapy. Filmed entirely on an iPhone X, *The Waiting Room* offers a raw and unfiltered look at the physical and emotional toll of cancer treatment. At home, the filmmaker also recorded footage with their teenage son, capturing how family life was reshaped by a year of living with the disease. The film examines the cultural narratives surrounding cancer, closely analyzing the language of illness and the experience of illness from a patient’s perspective, focusing on what can and cannot be controlled when the body fails. The 30-minute smartphone short was broadcast on The Guardian website as part of its documentaries series.