Saw Oriume this afternoon. Screened as part of Films about Dementia presented by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (Singapore), the film is a positive tale of how a family comes to terms with the disease when their grandmother is diagnosed with the illness. Certainly a sensitive portrayal of a difficult topic and a very heartwarming story indeed (with outstanding performances put in by the two lead actresses in the roles of the grandmother and the daughter-in-law), though I thought it got a little sentimental towards the very end. For me, at least, and not in an off putting way. It is just the cynic in me that rears its ugly head even in the prettiest of all cherry blossom showers.

Prior to the film, we also saw a selection of four winning entries from a short film competition organised by the same association. Winning. The first two were relatively decent. I found myself sniffing a little during the first one and, as the cynic kicked in, wondered with relative disbelief if I would be a sobbing mess even before the main film started. Turned out I had absolutely nothing to worry about, because the third and fourth films were totally rubbish. I say this without malice, but they were terrible and pretty much undid any good that the earlier short films had. I would have no issue if I was watching them as part of some student film festival (sorry, students) or at some open house, but given that the competition was to increase awareness of dementia and to foster a more positive understanding of the illness, it was painful to sit through those two films. There was no new perspective or insight, nor was there any discernible effort put towards that end. Well, there was the stereotype that the filmmakers were so comfortable with portraying. What’s the best way to show that someone has dementia? Why, to have her ask someone if he’s had lunch a gazillion times, of course! Then either tack on a few powerpoint-sque shots of advice, or a melodramatic accident. Yes, I know that these are (young) student films, but that isn’t any excuse. If they aren’t good enough and if all they do is entrench a stereotype, why show them at all? /end rant.

Showing tomorrow and Tuesday: Summer Snow and Away From Her.

(Image from oriume.com)