All the things I can remember is an animated documentary that examines the mental state of a person who has Alzheimer’s. Lee has been taking care of her mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with middle-stage Alzheimer’s in 2007. With the interviews of Lee, the film shows how the disease affects the patient and the family.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Ya-Chi Yang

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I’ve been wanting to make a short film about my grandmother, who has been fighting with Alzheimer’s disease for over 10 years. I wanted to make the film to pay tribute to her and my mother, who has been the main caregiver. I also wanted to pay tribute to the people who have been affected by the disease.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

The film gives a different perspective on issues about aging and memory loss. I also wanted to create images that are left to the viewer for interpretation.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

It is an illness that a lot of people don’t fully understand. It is also hard for the patients to describe what is happening to their bodies. Like many kinds of mental illness, people who have Alzheimer’s disease can easily be misunderstood and isolated. The film takes a more personal look at how Alzheimer’s affects my grandmother and hopes to raise more awareness.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

From the start, I decided that the film is going to be an animated short. I interviewed my mom first and got the sound bites I needed. Then I started to work on the art work. It was a long process to find the style I was looking for. Because my grandmother is not able to speak for herself anymore, I was not able to ask for her opinions. I decided to keep the whole piece visually abstract to capture the changes in someone’s mental state.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

People appreciate the film because it is personal and it opens up a dialogue about the disease. One of the organizers from a film festival told me that she lost her mother because of Alzheimer’s and that she really appreciates the film. It means a lot to me to hear that it touches people in many different ways. I’m also glad that I am able to present the film to my family, who understand the struggles the most.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Yes, people really embrace the film’s abstract visual style. That is the part I was originally not sure that people would like.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I’m excited to be able to reach more audiences through the website and be part of the community. I’m currently working on my next film, and hopefully having the film more visible can lead to future collaborations with other filmmakers and artists.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Producers, film festival director, journalists

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

The impact I would like this film to have is to share the journey of fighting the disease to as many people as possible. It is not the typical documentary style, but I hope people can gain a different perspective on how the disease affects the brain, and be more compassionate when they encounter people who are in similar situations.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How do you define yourself when you forget who you are and the people you love?

Would you like to add anything else?

The film will be shown in Taiwan at the Taichung International Animation Festival in October. I’m really excited that my family will be able to attend!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m currently working on a VR project which will combine some real life footage with animation.

Interview: July 2018

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All the things I can remember

All the things I can remember is an animated-documentary that examines the mental state of a person who has Alzheimer’s. Lee has been taking care of her mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with middle-stage Alzheimer’s in 2007. With the interviews of Lee, the film shows how the disease affects the patient and the family.

Length: 05:19

Director: Ya-Chi Yang

Producer: Ya-Chi Yang

Writer: Ya-Chi Yang

Composer: William Davis

About the writer, director and producer:

Ya-Chi Yang is a US based motion graphics artist from Taiwan. After majoring in animation and film, Yang works as a senior motion graphics designer at Zions Bank’s marketing division.

Her animation work and collaboration has been selected for screening at various film festivals.

Key cast: Lee Chin-Feng, Yang Lin-Chi

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): producers, film festival directors, journalists

Social media handles: Ya-Chi Yang

Facebook: facebook.com/yachi.yang.12

Instagram: @sunflowermayachi

Website: yachiyang.com

Vimeo: vimeo.com/user27703114

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yachiyang/

Funders: Ya-Chi Yang

Where will it screen next: 2018 Taichung International Animation Festival