''I Remember Better When I Paint'' is a

feature length A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film ( motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation ...

international

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

about the positive impact of art and other creative therapies in people with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and how these approaches can change the way the disease is viewed by society. The film examines the way

creative arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of me ...

bypass the limitations of

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

disorders such as Alzheimer's and shows how patients' still-vibrant imaginations are strengthened through therapeutic art.

Synopsis

The film is by Eric Ellena and Berna Huebner, and is narrated by actress

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...

. It features an interview with Yasmin Aga Khan, president of Alzheimer's Disease International and daughter of

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

, who had Alzheimer's, describing how her mother took up painting while struggling with the disease. The inspiration for the film is the story of Hilda Goldblatt Gorenstein (Hilgos), who had Alzheimer's. As she painted, Hilgos’s mobility and speech began to improve as did her quality of life. The documentary includes interviews with renowned neurologists who explain how creative activities engage areas of the

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

that are not damaged by the disease and thus reawaken a sense of personality, identity and dignity. Doctors interviewed include Robert Neil Butler, founding director of the National Institute of Aging; Sam Gandy of Mount Sinai Medical Center; Gene D. Cohen of

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

; Robert Green and Bob Stern of

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

; and Avertano Noronha of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. The film demonstrates the intersection between the arts, medical and scientific worlds.

Release

The film was selected for the 2016 Flager Film Festival, the 2010

Rhode Island International Film Festival Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newpor ...

and the 2009 Bel Air Film Festival. In 2014 and 2015, the film broadcast nationwide on public television stations in the United States during November Alzheimer's Awareness month. ''I Remember Better When I Paint'' has been released as part of a

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

package which includes the documentary and a series of short supplemental films that further highlight special programs and flesh out the how-tos of organizing an outing, a creative workshop or recreating social bonds between people with Alzheimer's and their families.

Social media

The documentary's Twitter was named a 2015 finalist in the charity category of the

Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as "The Shortys") are awards for outstanding and innovative work in digital and social media content by brands, advertising agencies, and creators. The awards, which generally focus on short-term content, honor achiev ...

, an annual event that honors the best in social media. From the seven finalists, the 2015 Shorty Award for the best in charity was awarded to the

Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...

. In 2020, the account was named among the top ten best on Twitter in the annual WEGO Health Activists Awards.

References

External links

* *
''I Remember Better When I Paint''
at French Connection Films *{{YouTube, 54AtoQVGfwU, Film trailer of ''I Remember Better When I Paint'' 2009 films American documentary films Documentary films about dementia Art therapy 2000s English-language films 2000s American films American films about Alzheimer's disease English-language documentary films