Using breakthrough imaging technology, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are learning how Alzheimer’s pathology progresses in people with the rare, early-onset form of Alzheimer’s, whose genetic mutation determines that they will get the disease. The film follows the DeMoe family, five of whose six children carry the mutation, and we learn about the emotional and personal toll it takes.
The Nanney/Felts Family: Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Genetics
Looking at the Nanney-Felts family in Tennessee, this film explores the role of genetics in late-onset Alzheimer’s and the quest to find additional genetic risk factors for the disease.
Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?
This film tells five stories of children, ages 6-15, who are coping with grandfathers or grandmothers suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Maria Shriver provides commentary and delivers valuable “lessons” for the kids, urging them not to blame themselves for what their grandparents do or say. “We are all children of Alzheimer’s,” says Shriver, sympathetically making it clear that “if it’s too painful to visit, you don’t have to go.” Maria’s own father, Sargent Shriver, suffers from the disease; comparing his earlier vitality to his present condition is hard, but it is offset by good memories and an unexpected “gift”: bonds between generations that may not have been made otherwise. Ultimately, the film shows how important it is to “go with the flow,” offering up a variety of perspectives on how kids can handle a grandparent’s loss of memory through kindness, patience and compassion
That Doesn’t Look Like Me
A short documentary written and directed by Jeffrey Vincent Parise. One December afternoon a group of artists walk into a local nursing home and paint portraits it’s residents. During which the filmmaker asks the elders for advice on life, love and art. Three weeks later there is a group show displaying the finished portraits and proceeds of the sales are donated to raise money for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die
In a frank and personal documentary, author Sir Terry Pratchett considers how he might choose to end his life. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008, Terry wants to know whether he might be able to end his life before his disease takes over.