My early memories of my grandfather is very sketchy, but from what I remember, he was very upright and straightforward. He was not educated (when we relate to the present term of education) but he was very hardworking and fair in his dealings with others.
As the years went by, he had problems with his memory. It was trivial but it still showed. We as kids did not understand the meaning of it but now looking back I realise that it was the onset of Alzheimer.
It may not be a painful disease for the one who is suffering but very painful for the loved ones whose world no longer remains the same.
Those who have seen the movie “The Notebook” will understand how a happy couple’s life gets disrupted by Alzheimer.
Recently I saw a short movie The Scarf on the same subject and was very impressed by the way the movie was made.
A boy’s world is forever changed by the arrival of his grandmother.
In the director’s own words: “As an aspiring independent film-maker, I want to create films that explore issues affecting daily aspects of life. I believe film has a powerful effect on our lives; it inspires, challenges, and shapes our worldview. The driving thought behind The Scarf is the emphasis on ‘has, not is’; that people are not defined by their current condition, state of health or lack thereof. That we identify someone not by their disease, not as a patient, but for the person they are”
To tell a complete story in 3 minutes 17 seconds is an achievement I must say. I did replay the movie a couple of times to observe the finer details. To change the expression of the child just by a movement of his eyebrows is the real magic of these types of animated movies. The real pain or the turning point of the movie is when the grandmother asks “who are you?”
The music is apt for the movie and the notes on the piano puts you in the right mood. It was only towards the end that I realised that this was a one man show as it was written, directed, animated, fabricated and scored by Carla Veldman.
The narration is crisp and clear and is given only where it is actually required.
This movie has made the rounds of many Film Festivals. I feel these are the types of movies that should be encouraged so that the sensitivity of human relationship is understood by all.
http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/joezachariah
