“Children are windows of opportunity,” Dr. Valentin Fuster remarks.
Not many people are on a mission to change the world, but Dr. Fuster is, and he plans to do so with the power of early education. Children are like clay that can be molded, and Dr. Fuster’s goal is to mold them into healthy, educated, active adults. Parents are in fact more likely to listen to their children regarding subjects such as healthy eating and exercising, than children are willing to listen to them. This is precisely the strategy behind Dr. Fuster’s project: to change our modern society’s view of health through the leadership of our younger generation.
The Resilient Heart—directed by an Oscar nominated and Grammy winning filmmaker Susan Froemke—follows Dr. Fuster as he travels to Kenya, Columbia, Grenada, Spain, and Harlem, fighting heart disease on a global scale. Dr. Fuster often sounds more like a philosopher or a comedian than a world-renowned scientist on a great task to change public policies on world health. He turns his stern demeanor on and off, vacillating between authoritative and affectionate dispositions depending on his audience and situation. His charisma is not only found in his accomplishments as a global leader in the field of cardiology, but also in his boundless empathy for the world. He proves that humor and tenderness are key to such grand and meaningful endeavors.
The Resilient Heart weaves in and out of science, history, culture, and the intimate details of Dr Fuster’s daily tasks. He is a testament to the power of knowledge when combined with compassion. The product is an emotional and inspiring message of humanity’s hope and goodwill, a message often lost in our day and age.
The film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Now available for streaming on Amazon.