The Sum Total of Our Memory: Facing Alzheimer's Together

The Sum Total of Our Memory: Facing Alzheimer's Together is a poignant 2014 documentary film that delves into the world of Alzheimer's disease, its manifestations, and effects on patients, loved ones, and caregivers. The film offers insightful stories from real-life couples dealing with the onset and progress of Alzheimer's, as they find new ways to love, react, and adapt. It is directed and produced by Barbara Klutinis and features notable personalities like Dr. Adam Boxer, Catherine Madison, and Dr. Bruce Miller, who bring their professional expertise to the narrative, adding medical perspectives and insights into the disease.

The Sum Total of Our Memory adopts a storytelling technique that is both respectful and humane. The film neither stigmatizes the subjects nor looks at them with pitiful eyes. Instead, it chooses to narrate their experiences with compassion, revealing their strength, resilience, and enduring love. Thus, achieving a delicate balance between empathy, awareness, and education. This approach elicits a broad range of emotions from the viewers while catalyzing a thoughtful conversation about the realities of Alzheimer's.

From the onset, the movie homogenizes the real-life experiences of couples who are adjusting to the new realities of Alzheimer’s. It strings together their narratives, serving as an intimate exploration of the journey and unpacking the unsettling changes that accompany the disease. The seamless journey through different lives reinforces the universality of the impact of Alzheimer’s, regardless of the social, economic, or cultural peculiarity of the affected individual.

One of the film's major assets is its ability to approach such a grim subject matter with sensitivity and grace. The director, Barbara Klutinis, has successfully used a personal and realistic lens to narrate the stories. This heartful representation makes the film not just a conversation about a disease but also a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the depth of love.

The participation of distinguished personalities like Dr. Adam Boxer, a Neurologist, Catherine Madison, a Neurologist and Geriatric Specialist, and Dr. Bruce Miller, a Behavioural Neurologist, adds a significant layer of authority and credibility to the documentary. Their inputs provide viewers an opportunity to understand the medical complexities of Alzheimer's without being overwhelmed. Their presence also helps debunk common myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease, thus promoting accurate knowledge dissemination.

The complex dynamics of love, empathy, loss, and acceptance amidst an often misunderstood and heartbreaking disease forms the crux of The Sum Total of Our Memory. Here, love is not just a sentiment but a guiding force that redefines the relationship dynamics as couples continually find new ways to connect and understand each other despite progressive memory loss.

The film also emphasizes the role of caregivers, who often bear significant strain translating into physical and emotional demands. There is a poignant touch in the way it lays bare the often neglected truth about their imperceptible struggles and attempts to offer a deeper perspective on their experiences.

Along with this, the lyrical narration by the subjects themselves and the detailed interviews where they share memories, hopes, fears and resilience, remarkably humanize the discourse around the disease. The individuals with Alzheimer's are allowed to be more than just patients as they offer insights into how they perceive their world that's slowly slipping away. This approach is a powerful tool in battling the often dehumanizing outlook towards those who suffer from the disease.

Screenshot scenes from the subjects' private lives, combined with breathtaking landscapes, contribute significantly to the aesthetic experience of the movie. Also, the sparingly used but effective background score adds an extra dimension of vividity and sensitivity to the movie.

The Sum Total of Our Memory: Facing Alzheimer's Together, is thus much more than a documentary about a disease. Although built around Alzheimer’s, its central foundation is love, patience, empathy, and resilience. Its power can be located in its ability to speak directly to the human emotions, provoke thoughtful discussions, and initiate meaningful dialogues around Alzheimer's. The film can be considered a testament to not just the grim realities of Alzheimer's but the magic of love, the strength of the human spirit, and the power of shared understanding.