Last Race, The

The Last Race is a thirty-minute drama about a family suddenly faced with a decision of whether to donate the organs of 25-year-old Mike, and a race against time to save a life. The film shows a family struggling to make a decision on behalf of a loved one. The Last Race tells one of the many stories about a topic that might affect any of us, a decision that any of us may have to make, and about the chance to change a person’s life for the better. As we see the family reach their decision, the film asks, what would you do, and how would you decide if you didn’t know?

This is both a compelling drama and a film that explores an issue that affects thousands of Australians every year, both as donors and recipients of organs and tissues. The film’s power is that as a drama it draws the audience into the life-and-death moments of its characters, as well as realistically and compellingly depicting the medical, social and moral issues around organ and tissue donation.

The film has been produced as a wake-up call to all of us about the need to increase Australia’s organ and tissue donation rates and the resulting deaths of people who could have been saved. It asks us to consider becoming donors and discussing our wishes with our loved ones.

Through viewing The Last Race, students from secondary to tertiary level will have the opportunity to learn about the science of organ and tissue donation. They will learn how considering donation, discussing it with their families and friends, and becoming donors will contribute to the wellbeing of others.