Seven Songs for a Long Life

Mandy, a nurse at the Hospice, discusses how she originally wanted to practice as a "very technical" nurse, by using high tech procedures to keep people alive. Now, she has realized that she prefers to confront patients without electronics and get to know them as real people. She then confronts how unpredictable treatments are, and wonders how patients under these treatments live.

Mandy struggles to simply listen to patients rather than trying to fix them. Dory, a patient, recalls that ending her pain was one of the best things that ever happened to her. When Mandy finds out that Dory used to be a singer, they sing together to bond while alleviating the hardships of Dory's rehabilitation.

Ian grapples with the effects of his Multiple Sclerosis on his life and his relationships, and his struggle to keep moving forward despite the pain. He then recounts how he became a DJ at the age of 15 and found his wife, a "disco diva" named Moyra. Moyra and Ian now have trouble with the costs of his disease.

Julie says that she expected to only live for a few months, but has lived for two years, and attributes this fortune to her prayers. She bought a house for her and her daughter to give her daughter some financial security when she dies, and tells her daughter to live like she could die tomorrow.

Alicia enjoys watching a shopping show on her tv. She then describes how she found out she has cancer and how she dealt with the news with her husband. The clip ends with Alicia singing a sad, lonely song.

Nicola describes the loss of her independence as she became almost immobile and therefore dependent on others due to her disease. Nurse Mandy wonders from where Nicola found her strength, and is impressed by her ability to keep moving forward. The clip ends with Nicola and Mandy singing "Everybody Hurts" in unison.

Filmmaker Amy Hardie discusses the making of POV documentary Seven Songs for a Long Life.