User reviews

"Our Curse" is the final film in the Oscar-nominated documentary shorts show and is about a young and extremely depressed couple whose baby has a god-awful congenital breathing difficulty. If the child is not hooked up to a breathing machine that breaths for him while he's sleeping, he will die. Also the equipment this Polish couple uses seems to need a lot of upkeep, it's loud and it breaks down with little warning. As a result, the parents just look haggard and depressed and their lives are dominated by all this. Each time you see the father, he seems to be drinking something alcoholic and your heart goes out to the couple. It also makes you think about quality of life issues and is definitely a film that will hit you hard emotionally. Fortunately, by the end, the couple seem a bit less worn and depressed and the baby has survived to its first birthday and is a pretty child...but also still quite ill.

In "Our Curse," director Tomasz Sliwinski takes us on a gut-wrenching journey through the first six months of his newborn son's life, as the family grapples with the rare and devastating Ondine's curse (congenital central hypoventilation syndrome or CCHS). But don't expect a polished, Hollywood-style production here. Instead, Sliwinski's raw and unadorned style mirrors the brutal reality of his family's situation, with long, unbroken shots that feel almost uncomfortably intimate.

Through Sliwinski's unflinching lens, we witness the exhausting physical demands of caring for a child on a lifetime mechanical ventilation system, as well as the emotional toll it takes on the parents. But despite the bleakness of the subject matter, "Our Curse" ultimately shines a light on the power of love and human resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

While this may not be a film for the faint of heart, for those willing to take the journey, "Our Curse" is a powerful and deeply affecting documentary that will stay with you long after the credits roll.