Granddad, Dementia and Me

Granddad, Dementia and Me is a 60' authored observational documentary directed by film-maker Dominic Sivyer. The film focuses on Dominic's relationship with his Granddad (Tom) and Nan (Pam) as they struggle to come to terms with the onset of Tom's vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Shot over a period of two years, the film is told from Dominic's perspective. The film captures Tom's rapid mental decline, his repeated stints of being sectioned in a secure mental-health hospital unit, his failed care-home residencies and his unusual, unrelenting obsession with Pam. It also deals with Pam's increasing sense of isolation and anguish, her battles with guilt and loneliness, and her own fragile mental state. As well as presenting an honest, unsweetened account of his grandparents' situation, Granddad, Dementia and Me is also about Dominic attempting to come to terms with his granddad's illness. Despite the difficulty of the situation, the film is wrapped up in love and warmth, and told with the humour that families often use when dealing with a crisis. (Sheffield Doc/Fest)