Mondays at Racine

Directed by Oscar-winner Cynthia Wade, Mondays at Racine tells the uplifting story of Rachel Demolfetto and Cynthia Sansone, two sisters who do their part in the fight against cancer by providing free beauty treatments -- hair, makeup, manicures and pedicures -- to cancer patients at their salon every month. The sisters have a personal motivation in offering such treatments: they watched their mother grow reclusive and depressed after being diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1980s. Now, they own a beauty salon called Racine in Long Island, NY, which they open free of charge to women with cancer once a month on Mondays. Their goal: to give cancer patients a sense of normalcy and beauty, and in doing so, combat the fear that accompanies the disease. Airing during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this 39-minute documentary profiles several of Racine's regulars, many of whom wake up with the clumps of hair on their pillow, a symbol of the hair loss caused by chemotherapy. Without hair, "you feel like you're being erased," one woman offers. Cancer can rob many women of their ability to feel like the person they once were, but Cynthia and Rachel are determined to help, with a little bit of blush and a lot of handholding.

Racine Salon de Beaute & Spa is a salon in the Long Island community of Islip, New York owned by two sisters, Rachel Demolfetto and Cynthia Sansone. Like most beauty salons, Racine offers a variety of hair care and make-up services, as well as manicures, pedicures, and facials, but on the first Monday of each month, they open their doors to a special clientele. Rachel and Cynthia lost their mother to cancer, so once a month, women living with cancer are welcome to come to Racine for a day of beauty on the house. For these women, it's not just a chance for some free pampering, but an opportunity to bond with other women with a first-hand understanding of the long, painful journey of cancer treatment, as well as knowing how devastating the treatment can be to one's self image in a culture that puts a high price on appearance. Filmmakers Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan introduce us to some of Racine's regulars as they and their families confront cancer and the rough road of treatment and recovery in the documentary MONDAYS AT RACINE. The film was nominated for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.