Film Review: The subjective experience of Alzheimer's disease: Portraits from films

This article reviews five films dealing with Alzheimer's disease as experienced both by the victim and the caregiver. Each of thesefilms looks at the fragility of human existence, the course of the disease, the mental and emotional anguish of those suffering from this disease as well as the courage, love and compassion experienced by those close to the afflicted person - qualities which enable them to endure extremes of pain and agony. Visual image is effective in conveying messages. It has been used effectively by professionals to sensitize the public about the impact this disease can have on the life of others - the moral and ethical issues in ongoing caregiving and management techniques.