Through
the eyes of the
most painfully
exclusive club
in the world,
this documentary
tells the WWII
story of two
pioneering
plastic
surgeons, Sir
Archibald
McIndoe and Dr.
Ross Tilley.
Their
revolutionary
and holistic
approach to
reconstructive
surgery changed
the face of
history,
bringing airmen
so badly burned
and broken they
were ready to
die, back into
the world of
living.
In a hospital
just south of
London, England,
the two doctors
set about
restoring their
patients
confidence and
will to live.
Plastic surgery
was in its
infancy yet they
perfected
radical skin
graft techniques
still used today
and prevented
the amputations
so common to
burn victims of
that time. There
were also major
changes to the
hospital
environment: no
psychiatrists,
no self-pity,
and no shortage
of attractive
nurses. The
doctors
philosophy was
to get their
patients up and
socializing as
soon as
possible, and
the small town
of East
Grinstead earned
a new name: “The
Town That Never
Stared”.
The Guinea Pigs
reunited in East
Grinstead half a
century later
for what was
likely their
final gathering.
Interwoven with
startling
archival footage
and still
photographs,
British and
Canadian members
of “the old sty”
tell the
dramatic stories
of their
accidents and
injuries,
treatments and
surgeries
performed, and
the influence of
the Club on
their recovery –
all with one
underlying
theme: it’s not
about having the
courage to die,
but finding the
courage to live.
Shot
on 16:9 digital
betacam by a
team of creative
storytellers,
including
award-winning
director Shel
Piercy (Leo’s
Journey: the
Story of the
Mengele Twins)
