Eight editions of kidney stories on camera: bringing lived experience into global focus
Since its launch in 2019, the ISN Community Film Event is seen as a distinctive creative platform where patients, families, healthcare professionals, and advocates can highlight the impact of living with kidney diseases by sharing their personal experiences.
Across eight editions, the films have taken viewers into remote communities, through transplant journeys, and into dialysis units, hospitals, and homes, depicting uncertainty and challenges alongside resilience and hope.
With submissions now open for the ninth edition, rediscover some of the winning films that reflect the diversity and power of these stories:
2019 – Dialysis Journey of a Sarawakian
Juliana’s dialysis journey in rural Malaysia highlights how distance and access to treatment can add to the burden of living with kidney disease and how peritoneal dialysis can help patients retain independence.
2021 – Life Beyond the Transplant
Bruno and his wife Silvia share their experience of his kidney transplantation, highlighting the life-changing potential of organ donation and the vital role family support can play beyond the procedure itself.
2023 – Hope Sustains Life – Through the Lens of a CKD Woman
Chitra shares how social and family pressures can make it harder for women to continue treatment, while offering hope and encouragement to others facing similar challenges.
2026 – Aurenis Choir: A Song of Hope
Choir members from a kidney care center in Argentina show how support can extend beyond medical treatment, with music and community helping address the emotional and social challenges of living with kidney disease. Watch an interview in Spanish.
Watch all ISN Community Film Event finalist and winning films
Submitting a film to the ISN Community Film Event is not about producing polished promotional content; it’s about telling stories that matter. Contribute to this growing archive of deeply personal and globally relevant experiences by submitting your film to the 9th ISN Community Film Event.
