Experiencing Interruptions?

making a sandwich

Alzheimer's patients are encouraged to continue to do the things they've done all their lives, but things have a way of going however which way it wants, as witnessed by the attempts to get Mom to make a sandwich.

NOTE: Submissions that require: name, email, address, phone, birthdate, film title, film synopsis, link to film, is detailed in the cover letter.

  • Emeline Mann Sanchez
    Director
  • Emeline Mann Sanchez
    Producer
  • Mae Fong Mann
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 10, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Emeline Mann Sanchez

I document what appears before my eyes—our immersive moving picture of life, sometimes with a plan but embracing the surprises that pop up along the way—and hope other eyes appreciate it.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

For over ten years, I was caregiver to my mother. Among her medical conditions, Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

There's definitely a learning curve when caring for someone who has this disease, but it's possible for caregivers to be at peace with it, especially because there is so much in the way of information, resources and support for the caregivers.

Once such support was a training course sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association, where the idea of getting the patient to do things like help out with mundane tasks, things that were a matter of course in the patient's pre-Alzheimer's life, such as laundry, dishwashing, and making sandwiches.

The actual practice of doing such things with the Alzheimer's patient was not quite what was seen in the training video but it was worth the effort.

I hope viewers will find something positive in the idea of considering caring for their aging parents at home, instead of automatically going the nursing home route (although that might be the better alternative for whatever's going on).