New film shot in Cork explores impact of dementia on family 

A short film about a mother and daughter affected by dementia has been produced entirely in Cork - by a Cork crew and Cork actors.

Called Remember Her, it is further proof that film and television in the Rebel County is booming.

The short film was written and directed by Colm Moloney, from Ballincollig, who used inspiration from his own life to fuel the powerful script.

Colm wanted the film to highlight the role of nurses when dealing with patients with dementia, and the care they give - not just to patients but to loved ones, too.

This genuine dedication to care proved true during production, when Cork hospices showed up to help.

Moloney wanted to ensure that the hospice setting in his film was realistic, to truly highlight the emotions involved during a family member’s care.

Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and Bon Secours Care Village were kind enough to allow us to film in their spaces, and we were all blown away by how welcoming both hospices were.

When I spoke to our director Moloney about this aspect, he said: “It was amazing, when we arrived at the Westgate Foundation to begin filming, the nuns there had made food and baked goods for us. There were teas and coffees… we hadn’t asked for any of this.”

As someone who had an acting role in the film, I felt exactly the same way.

For the entirety of our shoot, the staff were so kind and accommodating, and genuinely excited about our film. It helped to make a very vulnerable filming process truly comfortable.

Having these locations was imperative to telling this story, so the openness and generosity of the hospice staff were really important.

The plot for Remember Her is one that many Irish families will recognise from their own lives.

Despite Moloney drawing inspiration from his own experiences, he didn’t want this to be about him. Instead, it is a reflection of something that most people will experience at some point in their lives.

The short film is not just about dementia, but about grief and family, about acceptance and love.

The heart of this story is the familial relationships at play, and the love these characters have for one another.

Most of the action takes place in a hospice, following a daughter who must come to terms with her mother’s dementia, and the confusion surrounding their interactions.

I play the daughter, a role that required lots of tears over our two-day shooting period.

I was in the middle of my drama school training at the time, and was excited to find such a wonderful script to explore, one that was full of depth and challenge.

A key decision my character must make proves to be a pivotal turning point in her relationship with her mother and her illness, giving way to a gorgeous image of the two of us together - a feat the crew achieved by hanging a large mirror over the hospice bed.

This type of ingenuity is of extreme importance in indie or low-budget filmmaking. Without the money for a crane or other apparatus to place the camera above us, our crew got creative, shooting up into the reflection of the mirror and inverting it instead.

This was the case across the entire shoot. I am unable to drive but Kar Winters, our Director of Photography, used some clever camera tricks to make it look like I was in fact behind the wheel for a shot taking place on a night-time drive.

This approach feeds into a creative and original film, full of heart and passion.

The entire cast and crew on Remember Her worked so well together that we became like a little family, even with our limited filming time.

I had previously worked with Colm, Kar, and our producer Cian Clesham, which really helped the process.

Acting for such an emotional role meant that I was constantly holding that sadness on set, and the crew were so wonderful in accommodating and working around this, knowing when to help me shake it or when to let me sit with it.

I love to use music, building a specific play-list for the character I am playing and listening to it religiously during preparation and filming.

Everyone on set supported me so much, even if I was doing strange ‘actor things’ like lying on the floor with my headphones in to ground myself.

This type of community is part of what makes making a film so wonderful. You all work together to tell a story and, in this case, a story that was truly important to us.

Linda O’Flaherty and Pamela Kiely, the other actors, were incredible and generous scene partners, too.

The response to the film has thus far been positive, with many people who have experienced dementia in their families complimenting it, and reaching out to share their stories.

We have also heard from carers of dementia patients, and screened the film at various festivals.

Knowing that you have touched someone with your work, in any shape or form, is extremely meaningful - especially in a world with fears around AI in the arts.

The process was, for me, a reminder of the importance of human stories, and of shared connection.

Colm Moloney and the crew are already working on their next scripts, and I am sure that we will all work together again.

Working on Remember Her really opened my eyes to how anything can be achieved with a little support.

We hope to further share this film with Cork by screening it at The People’s Picturehouse - a wonderful venue which supports Cork filmmakers.

Remember Her is available to watch on YouTube now.