Movie Review: Documentary- States of Grace, Mark Lipman, director

      The Mayor and Deputy attended a one time showing of an independent film documentary that followed the life of a doctor in San Francisco whose life was changed dramatically after a head on collision on the Golden Gate Bridge in 2008.  A south bound driver had a heart attack and crossed the yellow line into north bound traffic, colliding with Dr. Grace' car that she was driving.  Her daughter and pet dog were passengers.  Dr. Grace incurred multiple injuries, breaking numerous bones in her arms and legs, and suffered a skull fracture; all were followed by internal injuries to her organs.  her daughter survived with only minor injuries and the pet was Ok, too.
       After months of hospitalization, 10 surgical interventions,  she entered rehab at San Francisco General.  Dr. Grace had been a staff physician at Laguna Honda Hospital AIDs ward.  Now she was a patient herself.   Mark Lipman, a noted film maker heard of her plight and at the suggestion of a friend of Dr. Grace, sought permission to document her rehabilitation efforts.  Her partner, Fu S., would assist and also provide at home care in Marin County(Muir Beach) where they lived in a communal setting at Green Dragon Zen Center.
      What followed is an extraordinary story of strength, dedication, perseverance, and love that carried the family through this intense period of learning to live with permanent disability and to adapt to a new life that placed restrictions on activities and on the future.  Over 200 hours of film were edited down to an hour and one half.  Film editor Kenji Kasamoto did a most remarkable job to blend this record into a compelling story.
      After the film was shown, a Q&A period followed with the film maker and his assistant and Dr. Grace and Fu S.  In halting words, tinged with emotion, these amazing people explained their feelings then and now.   It was truly a remarkable evening and a remarkable story.