Stories start to fall apart when the details are forgotten. Someplace Nice did a fantastic job producing this spot for Dementia Network Calgary. Not only did they bring the viewer in to the world of dementia, but they creatively paired the symptoms of the disease with a story that is also slowly being forgotten – those of our war veterans.

The camera work and scene detail, right off the hop, effectively bring the viewer into the story: one rife with detail and emotion (the anamorphic choice helps here as well – a more cinematic feel lets you know you’re going to be in for a good story). But as the scene details slowly begin changing from the changing narrative the viewer is given hints that there is something larger at play – enter the fog of dementia.

Perhaps the best sequence that helps convey the pain of the disease is when the scene changes; going from  the grandmother’s face, to hands, to wide shot of both the grandmother and grandson. Stories are meant to be told and passed along and storytelling creates a special bond between the teller and the listener – there’s give and take that goes both ways. Few things rival the bond shared between and grandparent and grandchild, and those special glimpses into the past that grandchildren are privileged to hear. By pulling out to the grandson the viewer is able to see that bond and the effect the disease can have – not only to the individual suffering with dementia but the support around that individual as well.

Fantastic work.