Irish Times 17th November 2015

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Irish Times - Health and Family*
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
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Film brings ‘twilight world’
of dementia into focus
Sylvia Thompson
Moments of clarity in the
midst of confusion: a new
film explores the world of
people with dementia
is a confusing condition,
not only for those who have it but for
the friends and family of those diagnosed with it. People with dementia can
have moments of absolute clarity in the
of complete confusion; they can
make very perceptive remarks and share intimate gestures or looks while everything
around them seems passive or lost.
It is these poignant, sometimes beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking moments in
fives of people with dementia that artist
Marie Brett and musician Kevin O’Shanacapture in the film E.gress, which is on
a tour of art galleries throughout Ireland
until mid-2016 (see panel below).
Brett and O’Shanahan say the film explores the “twilight world” of dementia. Unlike most depictions ofthe disease, it highfights the personalities behind it. So we see
a woman talking to herself in a mirror, another woman with vivid expressions of sadanger and loss, and a man grappling
to remember the name of a local musician.
O’Shanahan’s music provides an ethereand evocative backdrop to these vignettes, while Brett’s camera work provides layers of meaning, moving from the
past to the present and back to the past
Dementia
‘Potentially liberating'
While making the film, Brett and O’Shanahan spent a lot of time with 18 men and
women with dementia, either in their
homes or in the residential care homes
where they lived.
Family members and care workers also
contributed to the work.
Julie Murphy, a community worker with
HSE South, says their approach to dementia
is “potentially liberating not only for
those connected with the condition but
also for the wider society in which people
with dementia live and belong”.
Brett, who previously worked with families
whose babies had died (The Amulet explored
the hidden world of infant loss) admits
to being drawn to “culturally shunned
and tricky subjects often related to loss and
human suffering”.
“I was intrigued with the idea of people
being physically present and cognitively absent
and wondered whatdoes itmeanto occupy
such a place in the world, for both
them and us,” says Brett.
“Dementia seems to be all around us, locally
and globally, but the acute experience
isn’t really spoken about. This film allows
people with dementia to communicate in a
way they rarely have a chance to. Viewers’
responses so far have been massively positive.”
Jon Hinchliffe from the Alzheimer Society of Ireland finds the work “remarkably
edgy, risky and very important”. He says
the artists worked for a long time with climidst
ents at the Cork care centres,
“The staff and clients came to trust and
respect Marie and Kevin’s approach. Invitelse
mg people who have issues of capacity and
ability whether they want to do something
is an ethical issue, but we also must ask ourthe
selves if they have a right to do something
that we might consider stupid or embarhan
rassing,” Hinchliffe says,
The feedback from family members
about the film has been generally positive,
according to Hinchliffe.
“One ofthe recurring themes from famii;es was how the film recognised their loved
ones as people, not as a number or a set of
symptoms. Personally, I feel that I learn
something different about the people eveness,
ry time I watch the film,” he says,
Brett says she specifically didn’t seek out
information about the people before filmal
jng
prof R0Se Anne Kenny, director of the
Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing,
which will open in 2016 at St James’sHospiaSalntal, launched the film at the Irish Museum
of Modem Art (Imma) this month.
“Involvement with creativity and the
arts is associated with better physical and
mental health. Through our research, we
have found that even inflammation and the
immune response are influenced by social
engagement and creativity,” says Kenny.
she says projects like this acknowledge the
roIe 0f the artist and creativity in successful
ageing.
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Irish Times - Health and Family*
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Art film on dementia on tour
E.gress, a film exploring the
April 28th, 2016), Waterford
twilight
Alzheimer
world
of dementia
by
Marie Brett with music by
Kevin O’Shanahan, is on show
at the Irish Museum of Modern
Art (Imma) until December
13th. It will tour to the Cork
Alzheimer Society of Ireland
Centre (February 11th), Model
Arts Centre, Sligo (March 3rd-
Above, artist
Marie Brett ‘I was
intrigued with the
idea of people
being physically
present and
cognitively absent
and wondered
what does that
mean to occupy
such a place in the
world, for both
them and us.'
Society
of Ireland
Centre (April 14th), 69 O'Connell
St, Limerick (May 12th),
the Butler Gallery, Kilkenny
(May 26th) and back at Imma
(July 14th). A book of essays by
health and arts professionals
accompaniesthetour.
SeeMariebrettie
82059
42000mm²