The Human Trial

Lisa Hepner's "The Human Trial" is a moving documentary that transcends its subject matter. Over a decade in the making, it delves into the world of type 1 diabetes, highlighting the relentless pursuit of a cure and the emotional toll on patients and researchers. Hepner's personal connection adds depth, making it a testament to human resilience. Beyond the screen, the film spotlights the stark reality of diabetes while offering hope through groundbreaking science. Hepner's call to apply lessons from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to chronic diseases is timely and urgent. In a world shadowed by despair, "The Human Trial" is an inspiring call to action, showing that the human spirit, dedication, and collaboration can achieve miracles. A must-watch for those seeking inspiration and renewed faith in the human will.

This film is more than a film about a disease. It is a triumph of the human spirit - these people are putting everything on the line in hopes to advance a medical breakthrough. It is impactful, moving, and thought provoking with exceptional cinematography and writing. Bravo to the filmmakers.

A must watch documentary. If you appreciate good storytelling, great cinematography, and real characters this is the doc for you. The cinematography really does elevate the tension of the film with lots of shots that make you feel like you're in the operating room with the patients. Highly recommend.

Watching films like the Human Trial, reminds me of my love for documentaries. I love how we follow these people for years, and get to see a natural progression of hope,confusion,disappointment, and in the end uncertainty. The Human Trial gives me hope for the future of Type 1 diabetics. I recommend this film to anyone interested in promoting change, and meaningful filmmaking!

An absolute must watch! The combination of the filmmakers' personal stories interweaved with the unique experiences of their characters is compelling and heartbreaking at the same time. Does an amazing job of making the viewer care about and relate to their characters and their struggles without choking you with grief

A powerful film with a powerful message. Cinematically unique in its achievement to balance the emotional and factual components of such a complex topic. For a film that explores topics that wouldn't be considered ideal for cinematic filmmaking, the filmmakers find a way to tell an emotional and compelling narrative that will stick with you for the foreseeable future.

History of the fly. In 100 years people will be watching this film. Smart, affecting, inspiring. I am not a diabetic but this beautifully crafted documentary completely changed my view of how URGENT this race for a cure is. Do NOT miss this film.

We screened The Human Trial to 30+ researchers working in similar fields to the treatment shown in the film. It was an excellent experience and stirred up much discussion and a new perspective on the work we do.

This film is a gem and I cannot praise it enough.  I have been walking the diabetes path by my son's side since he was diagnosed 8 years ago in his senior year in college.  Ever since then, I have learned a lot about this disease. The more I learned, the more I realized how hard it is to control it, and the more I watched my son's increasing sadness and depression, the more frustrated and hopeless I felt.   Over the past 8 years, I have also learned that the general population underestimates the severity of this disease because they don't think of it as "serious", mainly because the diabetics they know seem to be doing "ok". But they don't know the loneliness and desperation that lies under the diabetic's resilience and apparent strength, and how hard (or impossible) it is for many diabetics to control their diabetes. When I watched this film, I could not contain my tears because I felt, for the first time since my son's diagnosis, that maybe this time I could believe there would be a cure, and that it could actually be around the corner. A dream come true, a happy ending. But this film is not only about hope, it is also about showing those who may think diabetes is not a big deal (because the disease has been so normalized), what it means to live with the disease, and how urgent it is for a cure to be found by researchers. I am very grateful to the makers of this movie for the hope and the energy they have instilled in me. Very few times one watches a film with such a profound impact.

It was SO good! There were so many things about it we thought Lisa and Guy handled really well, like weaving in their own story with that of the trial participants, like really emphasising how long it all takes to get a trial going and what a commitment those volunteers make to the rest of the hopeful patients all over the world. As Guy's cousin, I may be biased but after years of hearing about his and Lisa's mission to portray living with Type 1 diabetes and to follow the participants in the stem cell trial, I really was very moved to see the film at last and was left wanting to know what happens next, with my fingers tightly crossed for success! The patience and positive attitude of the research team was amazing.