Before We Forget

Before We Forget
Before We Forget
Directed by	Jeremy Boo; Lee Xian Jie;
Produced by	Jeremy Boo; Lee Xian Jie;
Cinematography	Jeremy Boo; Lee Xian Jie;
Edited by	Jeremy Boo; Lee Xian Jie;
Release date	10 September 2011 (Singapore)
Running time	54 minutes
Country	Singapore
Language	English

Before We Forget is a 2011 observational documentary film about two Singaporean women with dementia and their life within Singaporean society, where terminal illnesses and dying are taboo.^{[citation needed]} It is directed by Singaporean first-time filmmakers Jeremy Boo and Lee Xian Jie, who have also started an online platform that encourages people in Asia to share their experiences about dementia.^[1]

Synopsis[edit]

The film tells the story of Joyce Fernandez, a 50-year-old woman caring for her mother, Celine Fernandez, who has had Alzheimer's disease for seven years.^[2] When Celine suffers a mild stroke and is hospitalized for over three months, Joyce attempts to keep herself together, especially after Celine loses all of what little speech and she originally had. The duo, staunch Catholics, keep their heads above the emotional turmoil through daily prayer.

The documentary also captures frank interviews with Dr Irene Giam (PhD), a former mathematics tutor and atheist, with strong views about death in the face of terminal illness. She is first filmed after being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, likely due to systemic fibrosis, an autoimmune disorder which affects her breathing. After she is warded in a hospice because of her rapidly worsening health, vascular dementia causes her to forget the frequent visits by her husband and deepens her feelings of loneliness.^[3]

Release[edit]

The film was screened during the 2012 Southeast Asian Film Festival.^[4]

References[edit]

^ "'Before We Forget' web project puts spotlight on dementia". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
^ "Before We Forget - Reader's Digest Asia (October 2011)". Rdasia.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
^ "Rewriting the obituary". Beforeweforget.org. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
^ "Review: The Legend of the Impacts | SINdie | Southeast Asian Cinema and Beyond". 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2023.

External links[edit]

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[1] "'Before We Forget' web project puts spotlight on dementia". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

[2] "Before We Forget - Reader's Digest Asia (October 2011)". Rdasia.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

[3] "Rewriting the obituary". Beforeweforget.org. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

[4] "Review: The Legend of the Impacts | SINdie | Southeast Asian Cinema and Beyond". 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2023.

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