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Based on the posthumously published bestselling memoir of the same name, the film takes you inside the mind of a young woman who tries to live a full life while dying. Mallory Smith was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of three. In her twenty five-year battle with the deadly disease, she carved out a life that most of us don’t come close to.

Will and Diana are the driving force behind “Salt In My Soul” but is ultimately Mallory’s story. Based on her book of the same name published posthumously in 2019, Mallory’s story is inspiring, heartbreaking and enlightening. It sheds light on new treatments for CF as well as advancements in the fight against “Superbugs” It is also the story of family, Diana is passionate about getting awareness out about these groundbreaking treatments so that other parents never have to experience the loss of a loved one.

SALT IN MY SOUL is the story of a woman, Mallory Smith, wise beyond her years who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of three. In her twenty five-year battle with the deadly disease, Mallory carved out a life that most of us don’t come close to.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Claudia Puig review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Larry also speaks with KPCC’s John Horn about the Sundance Film Festival’s pivot to a virtual event for the second year in a row. Also on the show, a conversation between writer/director Sian Heder and KPCC’s John Horn about “CODA, ” Heder’s record-breaking film which premiered at Sundance in 2021.

Salt in My Soul, the documentary version, is something special. If you’ve followed the blog for a long time, you know I loved the book. In fact, Darcy and I had a passage from Salt in My Soul read aloud at our wedding:

My life is a miracle. Life in general is a miracle. Our existence is the result of stars exploding, solar systems forming, our Earth having an environment hospitable to life, and then, finally, millions of highly improbable events accumulating over millions of years to bring us, a capable and conscious bag of stardust, to the here and now.

Based on Mallory Smith’s mémoirs of the same name, the new documentary SALT IN MY SOUL tells Mallory’s amazing journey with cystic fibrosis. In her 25-year battle with the disease, Mallory lived a life of vibrancy and vitality. Often told in her own words, SOUL is the incredible story of one woman’s determination and the innumerable people that she impacted after her passing. In this 1on1, we speak to director Will Battersby and Mallory’s mother, Diane Shader Smith about the experience of revisiting Mallory’s journals and the balance between acceptance and fighting back.

We’re back from somewhat of an unintentional (yet also intentional) hiatus as we dealt with life stuff and took an extra second or two to re-charge the batteries but we’re back with a special one.In theatres in NY and LA today and on VOD this coming January 25th; ‘Salt In My Soul’ is a very special documentary about the importance of living life to the utmost.’Salt In My Soul’ is based on the posthumously published memoirs of the same name that chronicles the life of one Mallory Smith.

Diagnosed at 3 with cystic fibrosis, a fatal, incurable, and debilitating illness, Mallory Smith kept her suffering to herself. Instead she used the little time she had left to achieve excellence and pursue her dreams. Tall, lithe, and athletic (she played on three sports teams), she also excelled academically, and only her family and close friends knew of her suffering and the ordeal of the treatments she had to undergo.

One of the most moving documentaries of 2021 is SALT IN MY SOUL. Filmmaker Will Battersby and film subject Diane Shader Smith talked with our Gadi Elkon about this powerful story.