Denis Bouvier Uses Film to Learn About Life . . . and Death
By Kevin Headly

With the skyrocketing costs of health care, and the increasing tendency on the part of the medical industry to treat patients as sources of profit rather than as human beings, it is no surprise that the integrity of members of the medical profession has come into question. Despite the widespread skepticism regarding doctors however, there are many notable exceptions. These noble professionals are men and women who are governed primarily by compassion and who strive to genuinely care for their patients. One such physician is Dr. Denis Bouvier.

A senior physician in the Palliative Care Unit of Saint Mary's Hospital and medical director of Hospice by the Bay, Dr. Bouvier is a devoted caregiver and teacher. Though the onset of the AIDS epidemic changed the nature of his practice from oncology to HIV and AIDS, his focus has always remained the same: caring for patients facing life-threatening illnesses. "Caring for the dying is a sad experience," he acknowledges. "However, if done well, it can be extremely rewarding for all involved, patient and physician."

Though his devotion to his patients as a caregiver is vitally important, Denis also values his role as an educator. He spends a considerable amount of time educating younger physicians on how to treat dying patients not only medically but also psychologically and emotionally. Denis finds teaching to be an extremly rewarding experience, one that enables him to keep in perspective all that he himself has learned. As he puts it, "Oftentimes it is in the telling of a story that things really become crystalized."

Denis often uses film during his lectures to younger physicians. He has been a Film Society member since 1999, when he heard about us on KQED. "Films surrounding people facing grief and bereavement have been very useful in teaching people what it is like to go through that experience." Dennis is a lover of film, and believes in its ability to touch us deeply. "That's the power of film," he claims, "It demands of the viewers that they pay attention and synthesize things, sort things out. "And in the end, it allows them to come to some conclusion, having learned something, not just about the film, but about themselves as well."

Among his favorites is Alfonso Cuarón's Y Tu Mamá También, the runaway hit from Mexico about a woman dealing with the reality of her impending death. "This film I think so clearly demonstrates how the voluntary acceptance of the inevitable can be a liberating experience and can allow someone to move forward and experience things that they likely would not have otherwise." Another favorite of his is Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores Perros, a film that demonstrates that, more than anything, we are the products of what we have lost.

Despite his belief in the power of film to move and teach us, Denis also recognizes that nothing comes close to the actual experience. "No amount of learning can prepare you for the first time you have to stand at the bedside and look into the eyes of a dying patient." There is no escape, you can't help but make a connection. That's why, he adds, "Thirty seconds with a patient is more valuable than 100 hours in the classroom."

It's not hard to imagine that someone in Denis's position would develop a preoccupation with death. However, this isn't the case at all. "Working with the dying has taught me nothing about death, but a great deal about life." When asked about the wisdom his patients have imparted, he replies simply, "More than anything, my patients teach me the importance of being authentic," he stressed. "You can't afford to waste their time, because there is no time."