The Bottom Line
Pros
- Features real individuals with Alzheimer's and what they can teach us.
- Transitions gracefully between stories and commentary.
Cons
- $34.95 (plus $4.00 S & H) may be difficult for some to afford.
Description
- Released in 2007 by Memory Bridge, The Foundation for Alzheimer's and Cultural Memory.
- The 110-minute program includes 45 minutes of interviews with Alzheimer's theorists and clinicians.
- Can be ordered by phone, mail, or online.
Guide Review - "There is a Bridge" -- A Documentary About Alzheimer's Disease
The DVD jacket for There is a Bridge reads, "Alzheimer's disease is not the end. Sometimes it can be a beginning."This idea may seem foreign to many, but Memory Bridge, the foundation that produced this documentary, is trying to tell us something comforting and profound: Namely, that contrary to popular belief, Alzheimer's disease does not rob identity. Does it make it harder for the person to function day-to-day? Yes. Can it create difficult behavioral issues? Yes. Does it make it harder to communicate? Absolutely.
But does it make the person disappear? No. Does it make the person less human? No. And does it make communication impossible? Absolutely not.
Why? Because no matter how severely someone is experiencing Alzheimer's, there is still a bridge. It could be verbal, or it might be through touch. Perhaps it's music that creates that bridge. Sometimes, it's simply being present with someone in gentle silence.
Alzheimer's is feared perhaps more than any other disease, but this film suggests that Alzheimer's can also open up opportunities to become closer, to forgive, and to experience new kinds of caring and love.
In addition to featuring individuals with Alzheimer's and their families, the documentary includes contributions from experts and a segment about the Memory Bridge Initiative, which pairs junior high and high school students with people who have Alzheimer's in an innovative "buddy" program.
The entire film is excellent, but the moment that moved me the most was watching Naomi Feil, a compelling practitioner, nurture a breakthrough with Gladys Wilson, an 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer's deemed non-communicative. You don't have to be religious to be brought to tears when Feil starts singing "Jesus Loves Me" and Gladys begins tapping along in unison.
Thank you, Memory Bridge, for this important lesson in humanity.
