Artistic director and founding member of Kartemquin Films, Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 50 years, particularly cinema verite films that investigate and critique society by documenting the unfolding lives of real people. He has produced and directed over 30 films including HOOP DREAMS, VIETNAM & Minding The Gap. Gordon has won numerous awards over the years including 3 Emmys, a Peabody, two Career Achievement awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award as well as several Oscar Nominations!
Little did he know that when Covid -19 hit in March of 2020, his next possible documentary would be about his own battle with the virus. At age 77, Gordon was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago on March 17th, 2020 after apparently contracting the virus at the March 1-4 Australian International Documentary Conference in Melbourne. Having been intubated twice and near death, he decided he wanted to make a film about the fundamental issues about communication across the intubation barrier. Gordon states that he has had several health interruptions including cancer and ruptured discs but NOTHING has compared to the level of illness he endured with Covid 19.