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July 8, 2011
A short about Alzheimer’s
Local filmmakers aim to raise awareness and entertain.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
At the beginning of this year, the Alzheimer Society of Canada conducted an online survey. The findings revealed “a troubling lack of awareness about Alzheimer’s disease” across the country. In British Columbia, 24 percent of baby boomers were unable to name any of the early signs of the disease, and less than half of those surveyed were able to identify later-stage symptoms other than memory loss. A new short film, production of which is just getting underway, hopes to change these statistics.
“My personal experience with Alzheimer’s and dementia is what motivated me to write this story,” scriptwriter Vanessa Parent told the Independent. “When I was 22 years old, after my grandmother passed away, I acted as my grandfather’s caretaker for a short while. The experience affected me profoundly, not only because my poor grandfather was ill and deteriorating, but because I had to witness his frustration and confusion, and felt completely powerless. It’s a disease that is not only terrible for the person affected but also for family and friends, who can only stand by and watch their loved one slip away.
“It’s a very cruel disease,” she continued. “I remember grandpa walking into my room in the evenings before bed and throwing a fit, asking me to leave, not knowing who I was. Once calm and back in bed, he would instantly forget and shuffle right back into my room to kick me out. Sometimes, it would happen eight to 10 times per night. He was also very confused and forgetful of my grandmother’s whereabouts; I would have to sit him down and tell him that she had passed. It was like breaking his heart every day.
“There were also funny moments; I would make him toast for breakfast up to three times because he always forgot that he ate and, after a while, he began introducing me as his girlfriend. Some might think that that situation may have been uncomfortable but it wasn’t. It was sweet.
“I suppose, in writing this story, I simply wanted to present the disease in a different light and pay homage to my grandpa’s memory,” she concluded. “He was my pal and I miss him very much.”
From Quebec City originally, Parent is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She also lived in Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles before settling in Vancouver. In addition to being an internationally certified fitness trainer and nutritionist – she has taught a number of student fitness programs for the University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society – Parent is an art history PhD candidate at UBC.
Producing the film, which is called Eye of the Beholder, is Parent’s partner, David Kaye. Kaye has worked in film and television since he was four years old, with his first role being in the feature film Legends of the Fall. At age 11, he entered the voiceover industry. An alumnus of Vancouver Talmud Torah and King David High School, he graduated UBC with a bachelor’s in fine art in acting and co-founded Whiskaye Films production company in 2010.
“I fell in love with this story the first time I read it, about two years ago,” said Kaye about how he became involved with Eye of the Beholder. “I wanted to bring the words off of the page right then and there. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time or resources available to me [at that point] to bring the story from script to film.”
According to the synopsis, “The story follows Jack on an afternoon outing with Sarah. As events unfold, it becomes clear that their relationship is not what it seems. Eye of the Beholder is a tender, poignant short film about the struggles with Alzheimer’s. Dedicated to those who forget and those who are forgotten.”
“I think this is an important film,” said another KDHS alumnus, and a director with whom Independent readers are very familiar, Adam Bogoch. “Not only is it sweet and entertaining, but, at the same time, the messages are strong and relevant. I’m thrilled to be part of it and I’m hoping that others will support it in the ways that they can.”
Bogoch’s second award-winning feature film, Complexity, the creation of which the Independent followed for more than a year in its In Production column, will be screening at the Feel Good Film Festival in Los Angeles, Aug. 12-14.
“Though I am focusing on feature films at the moment, it is a great honor to have been asked to do this short,” said Bogoch about Eye of the Beholder. “I am happy to be working with David and Vanessa, their crew, and also my crew that will be involved.
“I will be bringing in some familiar and unfamiliar faces to read for the parts. From the list of names coming to audition, we have some really sharp actors,” he said, adding, “Ron Philips, the composer of Complexity, is in talks to do the score of the film.”
Between 30 and 40 people will be working on Eye of the Beholder, said Kaye. “We are working on assembling our crew, getting all of the necessary permits, filing insurance applications and raising the funds to be able to really make this story shine,” he explained about where the production process is currently. “Even though the project requires no special effects, stunts or large-scale post-production work, we need to make this film right. We want to use this film not only to entertain, but also to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.”
While the “intent is to have a solid run on the international film festival circuit,” said Kaye, he and Parent have approached the Alzheimer Society “in hopes that, upon its completion, they may use it as a fundraising tool or as a means to raise awareness,” said Parent.
Anyone wanting to contribute to the production’s $9,000 fundraising goal, either should contact Bogoch at [email protected] or visit indiegogo.com/Eye-of-the-Beholder, where donations of $10 and up will be acknowledged in the film’s credits, with larger donations garnering a DVD, signed script and other benefits.
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