This is a film worth watching. It’s worth watching if you have type 1 diabetes, it’s worth watching if you’re a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, it’s worth watching if you know a person with type 1 diabetes. It’s no action packed, rom-com, thriller, but an understated and realistic documentary into type 1 diabetes from a range of valuable perspectives.

What hit me most was the strain on the parents. This might seem strange considering how hard it can be to live with diabetes – I am a person with type 1 diabetes and it often batters me around. However, I loved this film and its insight because it showed the strain that this quite invisible condition puts on everyone, not just the person living with type 1.

It was also great to have some of my own feelings about diabetes articulated and mirrored in the film. Katia says two things that struck a chord with me. The first one I want to scream from the rooftop to everyone who has diabetes, of either type – if someone has a problem with you because you have diabetes, or an insulin pump, or do injections – you wouldn’t want them, and don’t need them, as a friend anyway! People who treat you differently because of your diabetes don’t deserve your company, their reaction reflects on them, not you.

The second thing that struck me from the film was the quote: “(diabetes) it’s so big, but you can’t see it.†Until quite recently I hadn‘t seen my diabetes as a big part of me. The older I get, the more I realise how it impacts on my health, mood, sleep, and overall life – it’s huge! It penetrates every facet of our lives and does not go away. This is where I’ve found support and perspective is so important. In Sweet 16, Katia finds this support, love, personal acceptance and perspective through her admirable work overseas. It allows her to realise she is bigger than her diabetes, and in a number of ways she is, and all of us living in a well-developed country with a decent health system are, ultimately lucky.

This is just part of what the DVD opened up for me. It’s raw, real and at times awkward ‘protagonist’ really does the world a favour by opening up about her private experience. This DVD hits a niche market of people who suffer from a number of associated difficulties thanks to diabetes but also have the ability to live life to the absolute fullest (with a tad more planning).

It was wonderful to see the cinema packed out for DA–Vic’s Screening of Sweet 16. Support groups, diabetes camps and other ‘diabetes’ events are rarely about sitting and talking diabetes with other people with diabetes but this was about being in a space with people who inherently and utterly understand a part of you in a way that no one else can. There is a sense of belonging. This screening provided this space for attendees and their families, and I’m pleased to say that the feedback collected was glowing.

Watch the Sweet16 documentary trailer here