Blood Sugar—A Mini Doc from New Zealand

Directed by Joe Hitchcock and produced by Morgan Leigh Stewart, the short doc Blood Sugar captures the unique point of view of New Zealand preschooler Dahlia and what it’s like to live with the lesser-known type 1 diabetes. Despite the “bum pricks”—her term for insulin shots—and the constant monitoring of blood sugar, she is a typical child. She reminds us when saying, “When you die, you don’t do anything; when you’re alive, you play.” The three-minute film deftly captures the gravity of chronic illness set against the whimsical backdrop of childhood as we see type 1 through Dahlia’s lens—on a swing made of rope with a butterfly band around her head, or at the beach with a stick for a shovel.

Watch 24 Hours with Anna and Sam another documentary on a child living with type 1 diabetes.