Advocacy, Toward better care, Videos

alzheimer hero breaks free in this gone-viral fantasy video ad

 

Young German film director Eugen Merher is trying to make his mark in a highly competitive industry. He just hit a grand slam. His spec athletic footwear ad featuring a marathon runner who now lives with dementia in a long-term care facility has gone viral. He sent it to Adidas, but apparently they, like most of the dementia care “industry” (yes, there are exceptions, but not many) didn’t “get” it. Pity.

My original headline for this post was: “26-year-old director captures in 90 seconds what most dementia care professionals/providers haven’t grasped in 40 years,” but then I thought, hmmmmm, be kinder. However, that’s the truth of it. Like my vignettes featuring Alzheimer Annie, this ad depicts the heartbreak, frustration, and despair of being thought less than who you are, denied the things you love and locked in a place from which, in the real world, you will remain until you die with no hope of escape.

I pray one day there will be no more locked units anywhere, and the core concept of this video won’t be a fantasy but a real possibility.

Published on YouTube Dec 15, 2016

Written and directed by Eugen Merher: http://www.eugen-merher.com
Music by: http://facebook.com/alexwolfdavid
Cinematographer: http://mortimerfilm.de

 

 

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7 thoughts on “alzheimer hero breaks free in this gone-viral fantasy video ad”

    1. I agree Laurie. Normally I wouldn’t publish two posts so close together, but I saw this last night and just HAD TO post it immediately. It communicates in 90 seconds what I’ve been trying to get across for three years in hundreds of blog posts. I hope one day the idea will be a real possibility instead of a just a heartwarming fantasy ❤

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  1. Oh- That just made me cry!!! That is SO SO SO very touching…and so true–to find that bit of spark of the person that ‘was’ —oh my! Thank you, Susan, for sharing this. xo Diana

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  2. Thank you, Susan. Some may think the video is an exaggerated portrayal of existence within the walls of dementia care. But those of us who’ve been around a while know it’s unfortunately the sad reality for many. I’m cheering him on!

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