The 5 best movies about Alzheimer’s

The best films about Alzheimer’s reflect the concern to relate and show the reality of this disease, which grows in the number of people affected every year. Specialists in dementia and neurodegenerative diseases point out the importance of an honest and realistic account of the disease and differ from the criteria of many film critics about what is or is not a good film on the subject.

Movies generally don’t portray Alzheimer’s accurately, which can reinforce stereotypes. However, there are films that try to address this very difficult topic for today’s society with the greatest rigor and respect possible.

The best movies about Alzheimer’s

This list of movies is an opportunity to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and witness some magnificent performances.

Furthermore, most of the films reflect what is known about the disease without fueling misinformation or stigma. Still, let us not forget that These are fictions, not documentaries about Alzheimer’s dementia.

away from her (2007)

This film is an adaptation of a book by Alice Munro, the Canadian Nobel Prize winner. From the beginning, Fiona (Julie Christie) already has signs of Alzheimer’s disease, so we never meet the normal, healthy Fiona; We only listen to her stories and memories.

In away from herJulie Christie was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance, but “had to settle for just the Golden Globe“. The story revolves around the marriage of Fiona and Grant, a couple who suffers the deterioration of her memory.which pushes her to enter a facility on her own without Grant agreeing.

After a 30-day separation (recommended by the facility), Grant visits Fiona and discovers that his wife has developed a close friendship with another man at the facility. Grant at first rejects this situation, but then he will do everything possible so that his wife can be happy..

Iris (2001)

Starring Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet, Iris tells the true story about British novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband. As we know, Alzheimer’s disease causes severe communication limitations, because speech articulation and vocabulary are progressively forgotten. This dementia is differentiated by the aphaso-apraxo-agnosic condition.

In this specific case, we have a woman who was a great communicator, losing her ability to do what she knew best. Seeing a vibrant, intellectual woman reduced to a pale shadow is painful; a process of loss that the film manages to project very well.

The film is quite honest about the effects of this disease, both physical and psychological.. We are invited to “feel” the illness, but also to think about everything beyond this degraded condition: the desires, dreams and motivations of the sick person.

Nader and Simin: a separation (2011)

“Nader and Simin: a separation” It is a masterpiece of cinema in every sense. It is related to many important topics such as family, religion, the role of women, Iranian culture or justice. Alzheimer’s disease is a motive or impetus for the entire plot. Director Asghar Farhadi said that he built the entire story around the image of a son helping a father take a bath.

Nader and Simin are going through a divorce, but have to make decisions regarding their daughter and Nader’s father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The film is a lesson in family values, dignity and pride that many should understand in modern times. The delicacy with which the son treats his father and supports him constitutes a great model in which we can see ourselves reflected..

Poetry (2010)

Mija (Yun Jeong-Hee) is a 66-year-old grandmother who is raising Wook (Lee David), her teenage grandson. Mija works part-time cleaning and caring for a wealthy stroke victim (Kim Hira). One day at the hospital she sees a body being placed in an ambulance. She is about a young woman who was found in the river after committing suicide.

Witnessing this depressing scene touches something deep within Mija. On impulse, he signs up for a poetry class at the cultural center and is introduced to a new world of possibilities. This task is difficult for Mija after a doctor has told her that His recent memory problems are the result of him having Alzheimer’s.

Mija’s heart is disappointed when she learns that her grandson along with five other children had repeatedly raped the girl at school who ended up committing suicide. A film of moral beauty and uglinessto open the senses wide even if the protagonist’s memory cannot retain them forever.

Love (2012)

Michael Haneke’s most sentimental film, which won the Palme d’Or, the Oscar for best foreign film, the Césars and even a Goya. Acclaimed by critics, it is a tough and intense story where what matters most is tested: love.

It does not specifically treat Alzheimer’s dementia, but rather that caused by a stroke. At 80 years old, George and Anne are a cultured and educated couple. Both retired classical music teachers, they have a daughter who is also a musician and lives abroad. Their relationship faces its biggest challenge when Anne suffers a debilitating stroke.

Although Georges himself suffers from the wear and tear associated with old age, he tries to put it aside to care for his wife., determined to keep the promise he made to him that he would never return to the hospital. From this moment on, reality itself will test the love they feel for each other. The film is as tough as it is beautiful, a visual delight that is well worth it.

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