Prof. Hoffmann's film review of "The Father"
Both the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Oscar for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role went to "The Father" this year - a film that puts the spotlight on a disease that has been rather reluctant to be addressed: Dementia.
In "The Father," now two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins plays 83-year-old Anthony, who has dementia and struggles to understand his diagnosis. The old man's moods change greatly - sometimes he is cheerful, sometimes noticeably irritable. He also exhibits so-called challenging behavior: without even noticing it, he hurts the people around him with insulting remarks, although they actually only want to help him.
Prof. Wolfgang Hoffmann, site speaker at the DZNE Rostock/Greifswald, had the chance to see the film in advance. With the view of a scientist, he places the film in the reality of dementia patients. In his film review (only available in German), he refers above all to the successful staging of the clinical picture, or the view of the world from the perspective of people with dementia. This enables the viewer to put himself intensively in Anthony's place and to understand the disease. The same applies to the portrayal of the consequences and challenges for relatives and caregivers, who also struggle with the consequences of dementia.
The film will be released in cinemas throughout Germany on August 26th.