5 Questions with Julie Nimoy and David Knight

The documentary film Remembering Leonard Nimoy is an intimate journey into Leonard Nimoy's life, legacy and his personal battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is screening for free later this month at Joseph B. Martin Conference Center in Boston on November 29th.





Leonard's daughter Julie and her husband David Knight joined us to talk about what to expect from the screening and some great memories of her father.





Leonard and Julie Nimoy at Lake Tahoe, courtesy of Julie Nimoy





Do617 : First off, thank you for honoring your father in such a way, and we are profoundly sorry for your loss. This is a different kind of film than one we have seen about your father's acting, directing and educational career. What drove you to make a film about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?





Julie Nimoy: Thank you for your kind words about my dad. In 2014 my dad appeared on Piers Morgan Live (CNN) and announced publicly for the first time that he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).





It was very important to him to bring awareness to this debilitating disease and to encourage people to either quit smoking cigarettes or not to start. David and I felt that a documentary would be very timely, especially since the general public were not very familiar with the disease and how serious it is.





The numbers presented from the medical community about COPD are truly staggering, my grandmother also suffered from COPD and I was a smoker at the time. Do other factors besides smoking cause COPD?





Julie & David Knight : Yes, currently there are three additional factors that can contribute to people developing COPD who have never smoked. First, is a genetic connection called Alpha1.





The second factor would be in-door pollutants such as second hand smoke, along with fumes from cooking in unventilated structures. In addition, work environments where employees are breathing various toxic fumes, gases and chemicals.





The third reason would be outdoor environmental factors such as smog, car fumes and other industrial pollutants.





I've been reading a lot in history of Star Trek books and more about Mr. Nimoy and smoking. Is it true he quit 30 years before he died? Do you ever remember him smoking?





Julie: Yes it is true that my dad did quit smoking after 30 years. What motivated him the most was that I just had my first child and I didn't want him exposed to cigarette smoke. This gave my dad an extra incentive to finally quit smoking.





Since I can remember, I always saw my dad holding and smoking cigarettes.





Julie and Her Dad





What is special about the screening in Leonard's hometown of Boston? Who will be speaking?





Julie & David: My dad was born in the West End of Boston and it always held a special place in his heart. This was the beginning of his desire to become an actor as he acted in his first play Hansel and Gretel when he was 8 years old. In addition, he kept in touch with many of his friends and family for years.





Regarding some of the special speakers at the event, in addition to several COPD experts who will be discussing the latest treatments, my dads oldest granddaughter, Morgan will be attending and introducing our film Remembering Leonard Nimoy.





His last tweet: "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" is so powerful and hopeful. Do you have more favorite quotes from his timeline? Or something he said to you that you care to share?





Julie: My dad was a very smart and intuitive man and he always gave me great advice. One thing he said to me was, "You always have to be happy and secure with who you are before you can have successful personal/work relationships".





One poignant quote he wrote in one of his books was, "the more you share, the more you have".

















MORE INFO :



rememberingleonardfilm.com

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/NimoyCOPDFilm

TWITTER: twitter.com/nimoycopdfilm





Date: Thursday, November 29, 2018

The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School

77 Avenue Louis Pasteur

Boston, MA 02115





Reception: 6 pm, Screening: 7 pm Panel Discussion: 8pm





Donations and sponsorship will support COPD research: www.crowdrise.com/BWH-COPD-Nimoy





For more information, contact Shauna Evans, BWH Lung Center - 617-732-5499; [email protected]

RSVP FACEBOOK EVENT: facebook.com/events/350853525653713





Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2013, Leonard Nimoy made it his mission to educate the world on this illness. Upon his passing in 2015, the world lost not only a beloved actor and director, but also a husband, father, and grandfather. Directed by Nimoy’s daughter, Julie Nimoy, and son-in-law, David Knight, “Remembering Leonard Nimoy” continues the actor’s mission of COPD awareness through the lens of the people who knew him best: his family. Today, COPD is the third leading cause of death in the country, affecting over 12 million Americans. BWH physicians and Harvard Medical School-affiliated physician-scientists work together to unearth discoveries that impact the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD.





Filmmakers David Knight and Julie Nimoy