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For women newly diagnosed with breast cancer... and the people who care about them.

Have you just received the shocking news that you have breast cancer?
Has someone you care about just been diagnosed with breast cancer? Now you can know what to say and do.

"Alaskans in Pink "
A Photography Exhibit by Alaskan Photographers
Many thanks to Brad and Kristan Cole for underwriting the endowment of this exhibit to the brand new state of the art Mat-Su Regional Medical Center of Alaska

About "Between Us"

Mary Katzke, Co-Founder and Filmmaker - Anchorage, Alaska

Corin has a dolphin encounter!

When veteran filmmaker Mary Katzke was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, her only experience with the disease was watching her mother die from it nine years earlier. She searched in vain for a film which would show long term survivors who honestly portrayed their experiences with the disease.  She made a commitment that if she made her five-year anniversary, she would create the film she so desperately needed at the time.

Through the voices and faces of a wide cross-section of women of all ages, ethnic and economic backgrounds, we hear the inside story of facing treatment and recovering from a disease we all believed would lead to our demise.  It is a very personal, intimate, and candid film which is finding a surprising number of additional and unexpected venues, from use as a sensitivity training tool for surgeons to a gift of hope for husbands and families.

Affinityfilms is proud to mentor young women pursuing careers in the film world:

Ashley Sitkin joins us after just graduating from Boston University with a degree in Film Production. She will be learning grantwriting, film distribution, and production skills

Fumiyo Sato was an intern with Affinityfilms from March, 2002 through December, 2003 after graduating with a degree in Journalism from the University of Alaska.  She assisted with all film production and helped coordinate Between Us events.

Between Us was shot with volunteers because fundraising efforts were only modestly successful - the emotional impact of breast cancer was far down the list of favored granting - research grants, mammograms, and PR films for drug companies always seeming to come first. Made with a digital camera donated by Panasonic and professionals looking for a career move, the film was shot in three days. Camerawoman Mia Barker shot her first film, Adriana Pacheco edited her first film, Karla Murthy associate-produced her first film, and so forth. DuArt has graciously underwritten a portion of the film print made from the video master for festival screenings.

Susan Skrocki
Development Director
Anchorage Alaska

The video developed into a "First-Aid Kit for Your Heart & Soul" as survivors began dreaming of extras that would be nice to include with the video such as long distance calling cards, Kleenex, notebooks, herbal tea, bubble bath, and candles for meditation. Soon resource lists were added, an advertising agency donated the packaging and publicity started. SELF Magazine mentioned us in their February 1999 and October 2000 issues. It is our hope and intention that a national sponsor or a number of individual sponsors, will eventually underwrite the distribution of the kit for all the 186,000 women who will be diagnosed next year.

Joanne Singer,
Co-Founder
New York City

Why "Between Us" is Special!

From the beginning, this film was visualized as part of the first aid kit.  Due to the success of Between Us, fundraising went much more smoothly and the entire budget was raised in just 3 short months with gracious assistance from Breast Cancer Focus, Inc. of Anchorage and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  Beth Chapin Carpenter, a survivor herself, agreed to let Affinityfilms use her lovely music on our sound track, and this time representatives from ten different states appear in the film. 

Beyond Flowers comes with a handbook which includes information obtained during filming but which was not able to be included in the actual end video.  It provides more in-depth and personal actions for supporters to utilize.

Beyond Flowers is the recipient of Best Health Video of 2003 from the Digital Video Awards in Park City, Utah.

Director is also breast cancer survivor
Appearing in front of the camera for the first time, and working with volunteers for the first time since film school, director Mary Katzke put fears and vanity aside for the greater mission of helping women face breast cancer.

New Format of DVC Pro 6mm/16mm transfer Using a camera donated by Panasonic, the crew used the DVC Pro for the first time.