New York Update!.

Erica Harrell

Producer

Last week Laura and I traveled up to New York for some Acts of Mercy business (and some fun). We were fortunate enough to stay with friend Solange for a few days then moved into a great place in Harlem. While in NY we were able to meet up with some old crew members from Acts of Mercy, Rachael Boarman (production designer) and Marisa Gregory (art director). Both ladies have moved up to The Big Apple and are doing really well.

Last Wednesday Laura and I had the pleasure of meeting with Tovah Feldshuh, our Nurse Baker. She hosted us in the most gracious way at her apartment with a lovely dinner then watched the film with us. Laura and I were so humbled by our visit with this award winning actress and so honored to have her in our film. Tovah also told us that her most recent play “Irena’s Vow” will be going to Broadway in Spring of 2009.

It was so wonderful to spend some time in New York with good friends and crisp cold weather. New York around Christmas time is a wonderful site, with all the regular sparkle of New York plus a few additional things like the tree at Rockerfeller Center and all the great window displays at Macy’s!

Who are the Angels of Death?.

When I was doing my research for Acts of Mercy, I ran across a great article about women that kill in the healthcare profession. In it, Dr. Katherine Ramsland (the author), describes the complex psychological motivations for killing in the nursing profession. Ramsland also gives a detailed account of the known cases in which nurses have crossed the line from caregivers to life takers. You can read the full article here.

These profiles always send chills down my spine. In a time when assisted suicide and pain management are trying to take a spotlight, we get to see the dangerous extremes of those who we are supposed to trust the most.