Synopsis:
In 2017 Katie Clare took a DNA test revealing a gene mutation. The mutation means she has a 50 to 85 per cent chance of developing breast cancer. We learn Katie’s mother died from breast cancer four years after being diagnosed at 39 — Katie’s current age. Shocked that the recommended treatment is to have her breast and ovaries removed, Katie’s initial thought is to do nothing. As the risks Katie faces dawn upon her, she quickly decides to go with the harsh recommended treatment. But, repelled by the thought of silicone implants, what to put in place of her breast proves the more difficult decision. After wrestling with this dilemma, Katie rejects the prevailing medical advice to undergo breast reconstruction, and instead opts to “go flat”. Following a farewell-to-her-breasts party, we rejoin Katie the night before her surgery as she prepares for the day to come. The following morning, a tearful Katie, prepped for surgery, talks us through the procedure before bravely declaring: “Time to go”. Out of theatre, Katie is woozy from the anaesthetic but relieved the surgery is over. However, this is just the start of a journey as Katie begins to heal both physically and spiritually. We see Katie as she explores her new form, the practicalities of being flat, the joys of Knitted Knockers, and how to accommodate her “Buddha belly”. Katie discovers that not everyone accepts her decision and talks of how even her own doctors had questioned her choice. We end on how Katie feels about having gone flat: “It would be like cutting out the last two years of my life, to regret it … so, no, no regrets.”
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by:
Graeme Weston, Julian Civiero