Experiencing Interruptions?

let's go out! (4 minute documentary)

Very literally, this documentary shows a mother going out with her daughters. At this juncture, her Alzheimer's is not really impairing her daily activities in a detrimental way (her reasoning/logic is just a bit off kilter).

The underlying message of this documentary is that before Alzheimer's progresses—a disease that many of us will experience either firsthand or know someone who will—before it shuts down the patient's mental and physical capacity (it will/it does), then live without regrets; the elderly still have much to enjoy from life and would do well to participate in all activities of active living, and if we are nearby to witness and/or facilitate such activities, so much the better.

  • Emeline Mann Sanchez
    Director
  • Emeline Mann Sanchez
    Writer
  • Emeline Mann Sanchez
    Producer
  • Mae Fong Mann
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
  • Yvonne Mann Dyck
    Key Cast
    "Yvonne"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    elderly, alzheimer's, aging, nature, husbandry, ecology, pollution
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 3, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Yue Chinese (Cantonese)
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Emeline Mann Sanchez

In the many paths in her journey, Emeline was the art director for an Easter Seals telethon, in an impromptu internship at a local television station, completed a yearlong apprenticeship at a local radio station—all leading to accidental filmmaker when her BFF, her dearest, sweetest mother left this world, the same mom she had been caregiving for the past 10+ years.

When people automatically ship their elderly parents off to a nursing home, they miss out on the most indelible moments and memories with their parents—the times they could have shared, raptured in, cherished.

Emeline shows how being with an elderly parent in their latter years can be rewarding not only for the parent but for the children; it is a future that pertains to all of humanity including the viewers of “no regrets.”

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There are many people caring for their elderly parents—sometimes, grandparents. Caregiving is not for the faint of heart. You have to be stoic in the face of pee and poop. Germaphobe? You’ll quickly get over that, at least in the moment of need for the one you are caring for. Going with the flow. That’s something that will become second nature, because you never, never, never—and this is in spite of people always saying never say never—but truly, you will never, never, never predict what’s going to happen; you just learn how to pivot at any given time and think outside the box.

This has been too long of a preamble to the whys and wherefores of this itty bitty film that I hope you take a liking to. Despite all the horrors of caregiving, many, many, many people do it. Some are good at it; some not so much. Regardless of whether people care for their loved ones at home, or send them to a nursing home or similar type facility, people should live without regrets. Unless a parent was a bad parent—in which case, sorry, bad parent, but you reap what you sow—those children who don’t spend time with their aging parents will find regret a huge, bitter pill to swallow.

This snippet of a film gives you a glimpse of what you can do with your parents and wouldn’t you know it—you will find time to do things you would ordinarily put off for later, or never at all. In the service of bringing joy and “the good times” to your loved ones, you will find yourself leading a more fuller life and be exponentially happier because you’re doing it while making the best memories with your loving parents.

If the audience can come away from this (almost) 4-minute interlude with a questioning, curious mind about what’s best for their loved ones, instead of going on auto-pilot on the nursing home track, then that’s a good start. Mind you, sometimes a nursing home may be what’s best for the situation at hand, but I simply hope people don’t just go by what they believe is the status quo.