Dorris, 85 is a nuanced look at how Alzheimer's can affect a loved one and their closest relationships. This film will evoke nostalgia through our stylistic choices and speak to a powerful story that many people experience first hand.
Dorris, 85 is a nuanced look at how Alzheimer's can affect a loved one and their closest relationships. This film will evoke nostalgia through our stylistic choices and speak to a powerful story that many people experience first hand.
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Story
Mission Statement
Our female writer/director leads a diverse crew championing a female-focused story: Our protagonist is an eighty-year-old woman with complex emotions and coping mechanisms that are slowly wearing her down. This film aims to raise awareness for those affected by Alzheimer's.About The Project
We begin at the stove. One of the burners won’t light. No problem, we just switch on another and move our oversized pot to the flame. There’s no time to fret on things that cannot be fixed. Much is the attitude of the lovely, eighty-year-old Dorris Havemeyer. From the hall she hears her husband, who can’t seem to find the bathroom. He tells her a story about his birthday and his Uncle Sam, a firework salesman. As the two wait for dinner, they play a friendly game of connect four, recounting highlights from Alvin’s day...
INSPIRATION
Dorris, 85 is inspired by writer/director Grace Philips's personal connection with Alzheimer's disease. With grandparents on both sides of her family affected by this disease, she's compelled to explore the subtleties of loving someone who may or may not know they love you back.
This film is meant to raise awareness in a tasteful and artful way. Our team plans to partner with organizations serving the Alzheimer's community to make sure their stories are respectfully told.
STORY
Dorris Havemeyer has been a devoted wife to her husband Alvin for over fifty years. Tonight is his eighty-fifth birthday. She fixes him his favorite meal, allows him to win at connect four, and listens to his same two stories over and over and over—as if they were new every time. By the end of the evening, Dorris recognizes that she’s not able the care for her husband in his progressive state. Lit only by birthday cake sparklers, Dorris recounts loving memories of her family, before Alzheimer’s changed everything.
TONE
In a conscious effort to accentuate the bleakness of everyday-living with the disease, the film will be shot in black and white with high contrast and a lot of black space - holding a mirror to the complex emotions those living with Alzheimer's face.
FINALLY
Alone again in the present, Dorris stares at the image of her husband and admits to herself that she cannot keep on living this way. It’s too hard, and too painful.
Incentives
$15
Special Thanks
Thank YOU! Your name will be listed under the special thanks in the credits of the film.$30
Exclusive Preview
Receive an exclusive preview of the film emailed to you as soon as it's complete! (Plus the incentives above).$50
Happy Birthday Video
Receive a personalized video from a surprise combination of the cast and crew singing happy birthday - to you, to a grandparent, to a crush, or even your boss! The video will be emailed to you and shared on social media. (Plus the incentives above).
$75
Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage
Exclusive behind the scenes footage plus a preview of the film emailed to you. (Plus the incentives above).$100
Personalized Short Story
Send us a picture of your grandparent(s) with a treasured memory and you will receive an original short story or poem, written by Director Grace Philips and Producer Kevin Bay, dedicated to your grandparent(s). (Plus the incentives above).$200
Visit the Set
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Visit the production on set late April/early May and see firsthand how Dorris, 85 will come together! (Plus the incentives above).$350
Associate Producer Credit
You will receive a credit in the film as an Associate Producer - thank you! (Plus the incentives above).
$750
Producer Credit
You will receive a credit in the film as a Producer - thank you! (Plus the incentives above).$1,500
Executive Producer Credit
You will receive a credit on the film as an Executive Producer - Thank YOU! (Plus the incentives above). -
Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$15
Special Thanks
Thank YOU! Your name will be listed under the special thanks in the credits of the film.$30
Exclusive Preview
Receive an exclusive preview of the film emailed to you as soon as it's complete! (Plus the incentives above).$50
Happy Birthday Video
Receive a personalized video from a surprise combination of the cast and crew singing happy birthday - to you, to a grandparent, to a crush, or even your boss! The video will be emailed to you and shared on social media. (Plus the incentives above).
$75
Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage
Exclusive behind the scenes footage plus a preview of the film emailed to you. (Plus the incentives above).$100
Personalized Short Story
Send us a picture of your grandparent(s) with a treasured memory and you will receive an original short story or poem, written by Director Grace Philips and Producer Kevin Bay, dedicated to your grandparent(s). (Plus the incentives above).$200
Visit the Set
Visit the production on set late April/early May and see firsthand how Dorris, 85 will come together! (Plus the incentives above).$350
Associate Producer Credit
You will receive a credit in the film as an Associate Producer - thank you! (Plus the incentives above).
$750
Producer Credit
You will receive a credit in the film as a Producer - thank you! (Plus the incentives above).$1,500
Executive Producer Credit
You will receive a credit on the film as an Executive Producer - Thank YOU! (Plus the incentives above). - Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Grace Philips, Writer/Director - With over ten short films under her belt, Grace has been actively writing and directing since 2012. Grace’s last film, Phantom Sugar (2018), premiered at the Buffalo International Film Festival and screened at the IFC Center in NYC as part of the Greenwich Village Film Festival. In addition to her short projects, Grace has penned three feature screenplays. Currently, she has two other short films in post-production and is working on her feature directorial debut, set to begin production in 2021.
Andreas Roalsvig, Director of Photography - Andreas previously worked at Keslow Camera in Los Angeles before moving cross-country to pursue a career in cinematography. He currently works on a wide variety of projects in New York. Andreas has photographed many short films over the years, including Grace's previous films, and is excited to continue the collaboration.
Kevin Bay, Producer - "The stories we live by shape our reality." With over ten years of experience, Kevin has successfully produced feature films, documentary short films, short films, published a cookbook, and provided high impact photography and music videos for artists and their brands. Kevin works as an artist and collaborates with artists. The projects he's attracted to reflect humanity's positive existence or compassionately bring to consciousness where we are failing. He is a true multi-hyphenate: In addition to the work shown here, his research is published in scientific journals as a neuroscientist and a chemist, he has recorded with musicians as a studio drummer, and has worked as a teacher of the English language in the United States and abroad.
Maria Akay, Producer - Formerly the Director of the NYC Independent Film Festival, she is now focusing her skills and passion to produce film. Maria has a number of associate producer credits on various short films and has worked on an Amazon Prime docu-series. In 2018, she was a panelist at the Nasty Women Unite Festival and mentored at FindSpark. She currently sits on multiple screener teams for film festivals, and in addition to Dorris, 85, is producing her first feature film.
Joseph Stephans, Executive Producer - Joseph is a Minnesota-born, New York City-based producer with over twenty-five years of experience in TV/Film. Most recently he was the producer of The Outside Story, starring Bryan Tyree Henry. His extensive credits include Precious, Requiem for a Dream, and Law & Order.
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