Brave New Filmmaker

"Any donor can save eight lives," he says in a way that makes you think of eight total strangers and not the man you're looking at, the man in desperate need of two lungs.

During the time we talked, Gilliam complained only once about his health, and it was while he discussed his job. Looking over at what Bastani jokingly calls "Jim's command station"—a computer setup with three different flat-screen monitors seemingly affixed to one another atop a desk a few feet from his bed—Gilliam says that, given a choice, he's not sure he'd want to be doing so much computer programming for Brave New Theaters. "But I enjoy it, and it's led to a nice case of carpal tunnel."

Armchair warrior. Photo by John Gilhooley

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More About

• Jim Gilliam
• Robert Greenwald
• Ramin Bastani
• Organ Donation
• Medicine

"Carpal tunnel" hangs in the air a moment, almost hopefully, as if only that were the biggest problem facing Gilliam right now.

Visit Jim Gilliam's blog at www.jimgilliam.com and his parents' blog at www.checkonjim.com. For more info, also check out www.bravenewfilms.org, bravenewtheaters.com and www.shareyourlife.org.