AARP To Screen Alzheimer’s Feature “Still Alice” Starring Julianne Moore Nationwide

The non-governmental organization American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) will host over 40 screenings of the Oscar-winning drama “Still Alice” in collaboration with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The screenings will take place nationwide between May and June and are coinciding with the release of the film to DVD and Blu-Ray on May 12.

In the movie, Julianne Moore plays the role of a 50-year-old college professor who is diagnosed with Early-onset Familial Alzheimer’s disease. “Still Alice,” which won the actress an Oscar for the powerful character of Alice Howland, was based on a 2007 novel written by the author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova, and directed by both Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer.

The first screening of the drama that features the struggle against Alzheimer’s disease took place last May 5th in Manhattan, New York, which included producer Pamela Koffler, as well as the education coordinator for the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Craig Colfelt, who hosted a Q&A session after the exhibition.

In addition to the film screening, a series of emotional new public-service films were also released with the main purpose of supporting the work conducted by the AARP. Among them is the initiative I ‘Heart’ Caregivers, which recognizes the effort and dedication of the approximately 42 million people in the Unites States that help parents, spouses or other family members live with more independence and quality of life.

“Still Alice” premiered in theaters in 2014 and gained critical acclaim in the U.S. and internationally from film critics as well as Alzheimer’s advocates. Lead actress Julianne Moore undertook a rigorous research process to play the role of Alice, with the help of Alzheimer’s Association, women diagnosed with similar early-onset diagnoses, and doctors and clinicians who diagnose and treat the disease, as well as visiting a long-term care facility for significantly declined patients.

Familial Alzheimer’s is a rare form of Alzheimer’s that affects about one percent of people with the disorder. The symptoms appear at a remarkably early age and they progress just like Alzheimer’s, causing memory loss and other mental functions. There is currently no cure or treatment to slow down the disease. However, recent research conducted at the Harvard Medical School in Boston revealed that currently held assumptions about the pathogenic mutation process associated to it may be inaccurate.