Movies Similar to Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive

Games You Can't Win(2016)

Games You Can’t Win explores “empathy” gaming, a new video game movement in which developers are sharing some of their most intimate or traumatic personal experiences through artful, documentary-style video games. Using a combination of intimate verité footage and video capture from the games, the short film tells the stories of three developer and the personal experiences that inspired their game.

Hero(2021)

Hero was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22. After losing faith in himself, and getting ready to give up, he found support in a place he felt safe - The Furry Fandom. Now, Hero is getting his first fursuit. This is his story.

Bitter Cells(2024)

Huiju learned of her biopsy test results, but lied to her mum about them. Feeling guilty about the lie, she embarks on her journey to find cancer patients who have the same diagnosis as hers and learns about their experiences. After hearing their stories, she finds the courage to tell the truth to her mum.

Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom(2002)

Naomi Kawase's documentary about Nishii Kazuo, a photo critic. He is the last chief editor for the Camera Mainichi magazine, rushing through his time with Araki Nobuyoshi and Moriyama Daido as provocative artists in the photograph world.

Young at Heart(2008)

Documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate. Their music goes against the stereotype of their age group. Although they have toured Europe and sang for royalty, this account focuses on preparing new songs for a concert in their hometown.

Five Stars(2017)

With her camera in tow, filmmaker Annekatrin Hendel settles into a hotel by the sea for four weeks; with her is her old friend Ines Rastig who, after her divorce and alimony battle, is now homeless. Room service may deliver fresh fruit every day, but it’s the moment of truth for these two women as they humorously and unsparingly scrutinise practical problems after the end of a long marriage.

The Common Touch(2017)

The Common Touch tells the story of Jake Bailey, viral sensation and student of Christchurch Boys High School, who was told one week before his graduation speech about his diagnosis of life-threatening cancer.

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale(2009)

John Cazale was in only five films – The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter – each was nominated for Best Picture. Yet today most people don't even know his name. I KNEW IT WAS YOU is a fresh tour through movies that defined a generation.

Second Opinion(2014)

The story of a young science-writer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, who risked everything by blowing the whistle on a massive cover-up involving a promising cancer therapy.

Into the Wind(2010)

In 1980, Terry Fox continued his fight against bone cancer with the pursuit of a singular, motivating vision: to run across Canada. Three years after having his right leg amputated six inches above the knee after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, Fox set out to cover more than a marathon’s distance each day until he reached the shores of Victoria, British Columbia. Anonymous at the start of his journey, Fox steadily captured the heart of a nation with his Marathon of Hope. However the 21-year old BC native's goal was not fame, but to spread awareness and raise funds for cancer research. After 143 days and two-thirds of the way across Canada, with the eyes of a country watching, Fox’s journey came to an abrupt end when newly discovered tumors took over his body

Anaïs(2023)

Anaïs Quemener, a marathon runner, perseveres following a Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis.

Cuba's Cancer Hope(2020)

When the U.S. trade embargo left Cuba isolated from medical resources, Cuban scientists were forced to get creative. Now they've developed lung cancer vaccines that show so much promise, some Americans are defying the embargo and traveling to Cuba for treatment. In an unprecedented move, Cuban researchers are working with U.S. partners to make the medicines more widely available.

Prognosis: Notes on Living(2021)

When filmmaker Debra Chasnoff faces stage-4 cancer, she turns her lens on herself and the disease. What emerges is a portrait of her extended LGBTQ family —a story about hanging on while letting go.

Rhod Gilbert: A Pain in the Neck for SU2C(2023)

In June 2022, comedian Rhod Gilbert was diagnosed with a little-known form of head and neck cancer. This is the story of his intimate, inspiring and humorous journey through treatment.

Cancer: The Forbidden Cures(2010)

Cancer is the only disease that has been defeated dozens of times without anyone knowing it. In the last 100 years, doctors, scientists, and researchers have developed diverse and effective solutions against cancer only to be thwarted by the political and propaganda power of the drug-dominated medical profession. This is the story of Essiac, Hoxsey, Laetrile, Shark Cartilage, Mistletoe, and Bicarbonate of Soda all put together in a stunning overview that leaves no doubt that inexpensive cures for cancer do exist but are systematically blocked by Big Pharma because they come from nature and cannot be patented. Highly informative.

Nuclear Savage: The Islands of Secret Project 4.1(2011)

A shocking political exposé, and an intimate ethnographic portrait of Pacific Islanders struggling for survival, dignity, and justice after decades of top-secret human radiation experiments conducted on them by the U.S. government.

Black Angels(2022)

Cancer; The Integrative Perspective(2021)

Cancer; The Integrative Perspective takes a deep dive into the fast-expanding paradigm of holistic and integrative wellness approaches for preventing and reversing cancer that treats the disease with conventional tools, while also supporting patients’ strength, stamina and quality of life with evidence-based natural therapies. Nathan Crane, a pioneer in natural healing and cancer prevention, brings together world renowned medical experts and cancer survivors to share evidence-based insights into the power that the mind, body and spirit play in cancer care and prevention. The latest research is presented by Dr. Francisco Contreras, Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, Dr. Francisco Calvo, Dr. Sunil Pai, and Dr. Thomas Lodi.

Into the Unknown: My Cancer Story(2025)

Filmmaker Matthew Thomas Ross provides an original look into his personal journey of a rare cancer diagnosis in his 30s. Through expansive childhood home videos, vulnerable interviews, and intimate footage, we follow Matthew as he documents his battle against Stage 4 appendix cancer. While traveling through the seasons, he struggles to navigate the physical and mental toll of a diagnosis full of so many unknowns. He ultimately finds hope and purpose in completing his first feature film; this documentary.

Friz & Wersow. Love in the Online Age(2025)

The internet gave them no chance. From the very beginning, they faced a wave of criticism, rumors, and questioning of their feelings. Karol Wiśniewski and Weronika Sowa are among the most popular creators on the Polish web—an intergenerational symbol of the internet. They have been at the top for years. And they have been the subject of gossip for just as long. Although they have recorded hundreds of lifestyle videos, it is only now that they are allowing cameras into places that until now only their closest friends and family had access to. The film „Friz & Wersow. Miłość w czasach online” reveals the behind-the-scenes of their biggest projects, the pressure of time and audience expectations, but also the warmth of everyday gestures and conversations that build a real relationship. It is an authentic portrait of a “power couple,” a story of shared passion and ambition that proves that true love can weather any storm, and that family and success can go hand in hand.