Spotlight

IWF member films are featured on the "Events & Projects" page as well as on their "Resume" page. Our "Spotlight" page features films by other filmmakers whose work we admire and want to share. If you have a film you think would be inspiring to other members, send the information along with your reasons for recommending it to:
jeanmarie@whirledwydeweb.com

"Louie Louie: A Portrait in Parkinson's"
A film by Cynthia Salzman Mondell

One family’s very personal story of their father’s 33-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, and their long struggle to at first come to terms with him and then with one another. It’s a story of a man’s courageous and stubborn determination to retain his independence even to the very end, and a loving family’s efforts to weather crisis after crisis as they watch the one they love slowly robbed of his ability to care for himself by this debilitating disease.

http://www.mediaprojects.org/pages/louielouie.html

Cynthia Salzman Mondell is an independent filmmaker who is committed to making films and videos that she feels have something to say about the world she lives in. Her first documentary on housing and the lack of it, Promise and Practice aired on public television in l977. She then teamed up with her husband, Allen Mondell to form Media Projects. Together, they have created over thirty social-issue documentary films and educational videos.

Established in 1978, Media Projects, Inc. is dedicated to producing and distributing films addressing topics of social concern. MPI films have won numerous national awards, been selected for prestigious theatrical screenings in the United States and abroad, and have aired on PBS and national cable networks. Most recently, MPI’s film, Sisters of ’77, aired nationwide on PBS’s Independent Lens.

I saw "Louie Louie" and I fell in love with Louis Salzman. His courage and unfailing sense of humor were astounding, inspiring, heartbreaking. Besides showing us the changes the family went through, both with him and with eachother, this film shows what it's like for someone with Alzheimer's disease to interact with strangers on a daily basis - people who may assume they are drunk because they are slurring their words or falling down. I think that anyone who sees "Louie Louie" will come away richer for the experience.
-Jean Marie, Director IWF

“Louie, Louie: A Portrait in Parkinson’s is an extremely powerful documentary putting special emphasis on spouses and children in the role of caregivers. It is a great catalyst for group discussion and especially beneficial for neurology students in training.”
- Dr. Daniel Tarsy, Vice Chairman, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

“This film puts a witty face to a tragic disease, making this intimate portrayal in Parkinson’s shine all the more. Thanks to Louie’s sense of humor and striking character, this enlightening film reminds audiences of how important it is to find a cure.”
- Kathleen McInnis, Programming Director, Palm Springs, International Festival of Short Film

“The video Louie, Louie A Portrait In Parkinson's is very enlightening for Parkinson's patients and caregivers alike. It shows the struggle that those affected by Parkinson's endure on a day-to-day basis and also the trials and heartache that caregivers experience. I would recommend it for both patients and caregivers.”
- Etta Slaughter RN, BSN, M.Ed. Manager, Staff Development, The Visiting Nurse Association of Texas

“ Louie, Louie: A Portrait in Parkinson’s is a poignant, honest, real-life experience of what it means to encounter a life changing illness in the family. This film invokes greater understanding, not only of the trajectory of his illness, but of the complexity of family relationships throughout life. I highly recommend Louie, Louie.
- Janet Dahm, Associate Professor of Nursing, Saint Xavier University

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