Partners of the Heart came to fruition more than ten years after producer/director Andrea Kalin first conceived it. Along the way, a diverse team focused its talents on recounting the inspiring and thought-provoking story of Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

Andrea Kalin
producer and director

Andrea Kalin is an award-winning filmmaker with numerous broadcast credits related to social issues. Since 2000, her work has garnered more than thirty prestigious international awards including two Gracies, four CINEs, two EdPress Awards of Distinction, a Chris Award and a Gold Unesco medal at the NY Festivals, among others. Kalin has pioneered communication and marketing strategies to promote social change. She is the president and founder of Spark Media, a multi-media firm established in 1989.

Kalin explains what she hopes viewers will take away from the film

Bill Duke
director, re-created scenes

Bill Duke, also known as an actor and writer, has been acclaimed for his direction of a variety of feature films, including A Rage in Harlem, The Cemetery Club, Sister Act 2, and the recent crime drama Hoodlum, starring Laurence Fishburne. For television, Duke directed the CableAce winner, The Boy Who Painted Christ Black, as well as episodes of "New York Undercover," "Hill Street Blues," "Cagney & Lacey," "Miami Vice," and "Dallas." He was nominated for an Emmy for his direction of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun on PBS. Other public television projects include The Killing Floor for American Playhouse and The Meeting, nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

Duke discusses the Partners story's significance

John Rhode
director of photography

John Rhode is a seasoned director of photography with extensive credits in feature film and television. Most recently, he completed work on the films The Perfect Storm and Galaxy Quest. Rhode's other film credits include Bowfinger, Bicentennial Man and two independent films, Stanley's Gig and The Gift. His television credits include the comedy series "Coach" and "Murphy Brown."

Rhode describes his visual approach