The Healer

FROM THE LINER NOTES

Henry is Jewish and is a professor at the local university in Canada. Julie is the daughter of Polish emigrants. Together they have twins, Nicolas and Nicole, who are 10 years old. They are a very happy family. Julie adores her husband until the day she arrives home early from vacation and finds Henry in bed with another woman. Henry is terribly remorseful – for him it was a one-night stand, and he begs for Julie’s forgiveness. For Julie, the entire world has fallen apart; she doesn’t trust him anymore and wants a divorce. In the middle of the dramatic event, their little boy Nicholas has fallen ill. It is cancer, and medicine cannot help him.

All the members of the family cope in a different way with this tragedy; Henry has to accept it – he is a scientist and knows the limits of medicine, Nicole tries some magical rituals, and Julie’s father turns to religion and seeks to baptize the boy. Julie refuses to admit that the boy is going to die.

When Julie’s father’s Polish girlfriend tells of a Russian healer who has helped thousands of people, Julie takes the boy against Henry’s will, and flies with him to Poland just at the time when Alexis, the healer, goes on a tour. Alexis is followed by thousands of desperate people, moving from one city to another. Julie also follows with Nicholas, who very quickly begins to feel better. Alexis, who is completely devoted to his calling, has never been with a woman before. Upon meeting Julie, he encounters something new and falls in love for the first time. Julie, out of gratitude and admiration, begins to love him in return.

After coming back to Canada with the now healthy Nicholas, she meets up with Henry, who is happy but confused about the boy’s miraculous recovery. He begins to understand that Julie wants to give her life and complete trust to Alexis. Alexis is in India, but cannot focus on anything except his desire for Julie. He comes to Canada and they spend a wonderful and intense week together while Henry and the twins are on vacation. During this time, Julie teaches Alexis about love, sex and joy, which leads to her pregnancy and a newly found place in the world.

Then the news comes – Nicholas is sick again. This time, Alexis cannot help him; it seems that after finding love he has lost his special gift. He goes away. Julie stays with Henry and their daughter, alongside dying Nicholas. Paradoxically, they have found a kind of peace; the little boy dies, but the family is healed.