Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien (1996)

Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien is a 1996 American short documentary film directed by Jessica Yu. Mark O'Brien was a journalist and poet who lived in Berkeley, California. The documentary explored his spiritual struggle coping with his disability; he had to use an iron lung much of the time due to childhood polio. O'Brien died on 4 July 1999, from post-polio syndrome. It won an Oscar at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997 for Documentary Short Subject.

Released March 13, 1996 35 min None+

Genres: Documentary, Short

Keywords: tmdb.woman-director, mdblist.imdb-short, mdblist.one-actor, imdb.iron-lung, imdb.polio, imdb.poet, imdb.journalist + 28 more, imdb.writer, imdb.poem, imdb.meditation, imdb.friendship, imdb.berkeley-california, imdb.disability, imdb.poetry, imdb.family-relationships, imdb.disabled-person, imdb.book, imdb.university, imdb.student, imdb.solitude, imdb.reading, imdb.reader, imdb.mortality, imdb.independence, imdb.gurney, imdb.desire, imdb.correspondence, imdb.alone, imdb.actress, imdb.sex-therapist, imdb.journalism, imdb.independent-film, imdb.character-name-in-title, awards.oscar-winner, awards.oscar-nominated