When Mammograms Fall Short

“Happygram,” a feature-length documentary that explores the issue of breast cancers that mammograms failed to detect, will be screened on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Shelter Island High School. Admission is free.

The film’s title refers to form letters women received after mammograms in which they were told that the screening had detected no cancer. Mammograms frequently fail to detect cancer in women with dense breast tissue, however. The film features Townsend Montant, a Shelter Island resident whose late wife, Teresa Montant, was diagnosed with breast cancer after a “normal” mammogram.

The film includes interviews with medical experts, politicians, and attorneys, as well as other women with experiences similar to Ms. Montant’s, and portrays the efforts of women to ensure that they receive complete and accurate medical information. It has been shown at several film festivals nationwide and has won awards including a first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

More information can be found at happygramthemovie.com.