I am so sorry at DVinfo.net

Noa Put · June 9th, 2014, 06:21 AM

Just saw below film shot already a few years ago and thought to share it here, eventhough there is no blood or anything visually disturbing to see it has a bit of a shocking twist. The sound and the images are a bit mediocre but the content is quite strong and disturbing.

Andrew Smith · June 9th, 2014, 09:00 AM

Actually, it's more that it is quite sick.

It preys on the notion that those who are not in the active prime of their lives, or those with a disability, are a burden on the rest of society that needs to be minimised ... something that the elderly are already very sensitive to.

Andrew

Noa Put · June 9th, 2014, 09:48 AM

Well the reason why it took me a bit by the throat is that my mother has Alzheimer and my grandmother had it too. My mother is in a stage now that she doesn't recognize me anymore (she is 76) and she is basically not aware anymore about her surroundings. Currently she is taken care of in a home and she gets 24/24 medical attention, there are many people at the home who are much worse then my mom, my mom still communicates but is living in a constant fantasy, others don't communicate anymore, scream all day and stare at the ceiling or at the ground and they are just spoon fed until they die.

Since I am dealing with this "disease" from up close I could relate to this short film in a way that if I would know now that I would get alzheimer as well since it seems to run in the family, I would like to put an end to it myself just before I am not able anymore to make that conscious decision myself, I don't want to put that burden on my family, not financially or emotionally having to deal with me until I am attached to a monitor waiting for months or years for it to stop beeping.

Don't get me wrong, I want my mother to live forever, but whenever I visit her, I don't see my mom, I see a person that is lost in a world that is not hers and mine and she deserves better, alzheimer only takes all she has ever loved away in her mind up to a point where nothing is left anymore and in that void she will remain until her heart will stop beating.

For me the filmmaker was not saying; shoot all that have alzheimer but he was actually saying that a world without memory or love is not a world worth living for.

Andrew Smith · June 10th, 2014, 12:49 PM

Hi Noa,

I do understand where you are coming from. Myself, I've got a grandmother who doesn't have Alzheimers but is totally utterly blind as a bat and now in high level care. I hadn't been keeping track, but she has, and as it turns out I've been visiting her every week for the last eight and half years.

It's not been completely smooth sailing, as she fell over (when in her own regular level care) some years ago and knocked her head. Only surface damage so to speak, but it's when her (perfectly understandable) anxiety started. It took a while, but the nursing staff were able to establish an appropriate level of medication and these days you'd hardly know there was an issue at all, and she's otherwise functioning properly.

There are some good reasons why you don't want to write off those with advanced dementia. Namely, you miss out on the impetus to discover solutions to these medical issues.

One Australian nursing home has been using 'music therapy' to get incredible results. Those that had music in their lives, but were lost to dementia, come out of their shell as (presumably) the brain starts working through a different bunch of neural pathways. These people come alive once again.

At another facility, agitated residents can be reassured with an iPad containing photos and/or videos of their loved ones. Makes a huge difference, and means that you don't have to drug them to keep them 'manageable'.

There has also been some amazing developments where people with Alzheimers have been brought right out of their "brain fog" with doses of the drug Stilnox. 60 Minutes in Australia aired a story on it which you can hopefully see here: The Awakening There is also a transcript of the segment. It's amazing stuff.

Andrew

Noa Put · June 10th, 2014, 02:04 PM

I think the filmmaker might also have been speaking from own experience, I could relate to the movie because of my personal experience thinking I'd never want to end up like that. I saw a documentary last year about a person that had terminal cancer, same as my dad had last year, that person decided for himself to get a lethal injection at a moment he was still clear and conscious where he could make that decision as he didn't want to suffer anymore knowing it would only get worse. I found it a very touching piece where he and his family was followed and he also explained on camera the reasoning behind that decision. The filmmaker was allowed to follow it up to the point where all family was present to say goodbye just before he was put to sleep. My dad otoh went to the bitter end but I wished he had chosen for the easy way out, it's no fun to see people suffer and it changes your perspective on life. I think with the "I am so sorry" movie it's normal you will get very different kind of reactions, from shocked to understanding which can be so different because of own experiences.

I did see a documentary about a person with alzheimer that reacted to music and he came to life again as long as the music played, they use music also a lot at the home where my mother is, most of them sing along and eventhough music causes a reaction I still see a lot of empty shells. I am now used to being around people with alzheimer but I can tell you it was very confronting the first time I walked into such a department, it reminds you how fragile we humans are.

June 9th, 2014, 06:21 AM	#1
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	I am so sorry Just saw below film shot already a few years ago and thought to share it here, eventhough there is no blood or anything visually disturbing to see it has a bit of a shocking twist. The sound and the images are a bit mediocre but the content is quite strong and disturbing. [2011] I AM SO SORRY - YouTube

June 9th, 2014, 09:00 AM	#2
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,015	Re: I am so sorry Actually, it's more that it is quite sick. It preys on the notion that those who are not in the active prime of their lives, or those with a disability, are a burden on the rest of society that needs to be minimised ... something that the elderly are already very sensitive to. Andrew

June 9th, 2014, 09:48 AM	#3
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: I am so sorry Well the reason why it took me a bit by the throat is that my mother has Alzheimer and my grandmother had it too. My mother is in a stage now that she doesn't recognize me anymore (she is 76) and she is basically not aware anymore about her surroundings. Currently she is taken care of in a home and she gets 24/24 medical attention, there are many people at the home who are much worse then my mom, my mom still communicates but is living in a constant fantasy, others don't communicate anymore, scream all day and stare at the ceiling or at the ground and they are just spoon fed until they die. Since I am dealing with this "disease" from up close I could relate to this short film in a way that if I would know now that I would get alzheimer as well since it seems to run in the family, I would like to put an end to it myself just before I am not able anymore to make that conscious decision myself, I don't want to put that burden on my family, not financially or emotionally having to deal with me until I am attached to a monitor waiting for months or years for it to stop beeping. Don't get me wrong, I want my mother to live forever, but whenever I visit her, I don't see my mom, I see a person that is lost in a world that is not hers and mine and she deserves better, alzheimer only takes all she has ever loved away in her mind up to a point where nothing is left anymore and in that void she will remain until her heart will stop beating. For me the filmmaker was not saying; shoot all that have alzheimer but he was actually saying that a world without memory or love is not a world worth living for.

June 10th, 2014, 12:49 PM	#4
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,015	Re: I am so sorry Hi Noa, I do understand where you are coming from. Myself, I've got a grandmother who doesn't have Alzheimers but is totally utterly blind as a bat and now in high level care. I hadn't been keeping track, but she has, and as it turns out I've been visiting her every week for the last eight and half years. It's not been completely smooth sailing, as she fell over (when in her own regular level care) some years ago and knocked her head. Only surface damage so to speak, but it's when her (perfectly understandable) anxiety started. It took a while, but the nursing staff were able to establish an appropriate level of medication and these days you'd hardly know there was an issue at all, and she's otherwise functioning properly. There are some good reasons why you don't want to write off those with advanced dementia. Namely, you miss out on the impetus to discover solutions to these medical issues. One Australian nursing home has been using 'music therapy' to get incredible results. Those that had music in their lives, but were lost to dementia, come out of their shell as (presumably) the brain starts working through a different bunch of neural pathways. These people come alive once again. At another facility, agitated residents can be reassured with an iPad containing photos and/or videos of their loved ones. Makes a huge difference, and means that you don't have to drug them to keep them 'manageable'. There has also been some amazing developments where people with Alzheimers have been brought right out of their "brain fog" with doses of the drug Stilnox. 60 Minutes in Australia aired a story on it which you can hopefully see here: The Awakening There is also a transcript of the segment. It's amazing stuff. Andrew

June 10th, 2014, 02:04 PM	#5
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: I am so sorry I think the filmmaker might also have been speaking from own experience, I could relate to the movie because of my personal experience thinking I'd never want to end up like that. I saw a documentary last year about a person that had terminal cancer, same as my dad had last year, that person decided for himself to get a lethal injection at a moment he was still clear and conscious where he could make that decision as he didn't want to suffer anymore knowing it would only get worse. I found it a very touching piece where he and his family was followed and he also explained on camera the reasoning behind that decision. The filmmaker was allowed to follow it up to the point where all family was present to say goodbye just before he was put to sleep. My dad otoh went to the bitter end but I wished he had chosen for the easy way out, it's no fun to see people suffer and it changes your perspective on life. I think with the "I am so sorry" movie it's normal you will get very different kind of reactions, from shocked to understanding which can be so different because of own experiences. I did see a documentary about a person with alzheimer that reacted to music and he came to life again as long as the music played, they use music also a lot at the home where my mother is, most of them sing along and eventhough music causes a reaction I still see a lot of empty shells. I am now used to being around people with alzheimer but I can tell you it was very confronting the first time I walked into such a department, it reminds you how fragile we humans are.