As everyone knows I am working on Alzheimer’s disease and if communication design might improve the perception of the disease by the general public, raising awareness and supporting patients and carers. I am also interested to approach information design, because I believe in its power to enhance understanding.
Instead of choosing some beautiful piece of information design, I decided to share with you my views on the short-film Ex Memoria, by John Appignanesi.
Based in personal memories of the director, the film tries to look at the world from the patients’ point of view and make us feel their experience. Just in 15 minutes, it manages to cover different aspects and issues of having dementia. Besides that, it comes with additional information and advice for family and carers, what I found really useful.
Eva is a Polish old lady suffering from dementia who is no longer able to distinguish past and present. She constantly recalls deep memories related with the war. The film starts with a scene from the past, when she was young, helping us to understand some of her current attitudes. She doesn’t recognize her family (daughter and grandsons) or the nursing home staff. She keeps on misunderstanding people, asking them “weird” things related with her past memories.
In addition, the film presents the scenario of living in a nursing home, where there are no references and the will to go home or to go out (probably in the pursuit of something they recognize). Also, sharing spaces with others at this age and condition might not be easy. Furthermore, the fact of being far from the family makes it more difficult for Eva to identify them and for them to understand her or know how to talk or stimulate her. It refers as well the difficulty to let other people help them with tasks they cannot perform anymore, like personal hygiene.
Although symptoms vary slightly from person to person, I recognized there the situation of my grandparents. It’s impossible not to compare to what I know and what I feel about this situation.
The film touches important topics that open reflection and discussion about the condition and about the way support is being provided. It also suggests how important is to know the past of the patient in order to understand and help him/her better. That’s why family’s support is also important.
I found this way of presenting the disease really inspiring. It gives a clearer notion of what it really is. In my opinion, for example, showing how the Alzheimer’s brain looks like doesn’t add any knowledge for someone that has to deal with the disease.
This film reminded me why I am doing this project and pointed out some possible approaches to raise awareness in a different way, maybe making them more sensitive. Besides a more “informational” approach that I still want to keep, I would like also to do some experiments exploring visually to communicate how people with dementia might feel, taking this film as an example.
here you can see 2min of the film: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Funded-projects/Profiles/WTDV030205.htm
Viva presention:
Anna said
ReplyDeleteI think that the film was great! Do you want to explore more the emotional part of dementia disease? Don’t you think that the loss of data brings to big emotional and sentimental upheavals? Don’t you think that you can combine the info graphic, for informing the carriers, and something more emotional and tactile for the patient? Something that engages both the patient and the carrier and that help them o interact to each other.
Just an idea regarding making people feel what a patient does, I immediately thought of a possible spatial experiment involving sound, image and navigation, where people could be "inside" the head and body of a patient and feel the complete experience. This exhibition/installation would simulate the feelings of lostness, confusion, non-recognition, etc.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you want to approach the disease, like the ex memoria film, in a new, more understandable way, and I like the way you wrote.
ReplyDeleteDo you think information design is the best possible solution to raise awareness?
Do you think you can be objective enought to cover all necessary information, or do you maybe have to work more closely with someone who is a total newcomer to dimensia?