FILM SCREENING & PANEL: “Please Remember Me”
Cosponsored by
China Center for Social Policy & CaringKind
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; PIZZA WILL BE SERVED.
ABOUT THE FILM
Director: Qing Zhao | Producer: Violet Du Feng | Premiered in 2015 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
Eighty-seven-year-old Alzheimer’s patient Lou has forgotten everyone but her husband Feng, who has been her only caretaker for the past ten years. Nonetheless, they live a full and happy life in Shanghai. They practice tai chi every morning, make regular visits to the Peking opera and read poetry to one another.
But when Feng himself gets sick—he is diagnosed with a pancreas mass after a medical check-up—he decides it’s time for them to move into a retirement home. They have almost no one else to care for them; their only son lives in Australia and visits sporadically. The transition from hectic city to rural rest home takes a heavy toll on them both.
Qing Zhao’s tender portrait are her own great uncle and aunt, whom she followed for three years. She was witness to the unbreakable bond between the couple, and devotes much of her attention to the remarkable history of their love. Feng married Lou when she was 42 years old, following the death of his first wife. Together they survived the Cultural Revolution, during which Feng was denounced and sent far away to Sichuan. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Hold his hand to grow old together.” Please Remember Me perfectly encapsulates these words.
ABOUT THE PANEL
Panelists
Violet Du Feng (bio), Producer, Please Remember Me
Weijing Shi, MSW, Manager of Chinese Outreach, CaringKind
Serene Nie, LMSW, Social Worker, CaringKind
Mei-Guey Jan, MSW, Dementia Care Trainer, CaringKind
Moderator
Jinyu Liu (bio), Assistant Professor, Columbia School of Social Work
About the China Center for Social Policy
The China Center for Social Policy is a hub for innovation and action on social welfare in China. Directed by Columbia School of Social Work Professor Qin Gao, it is the first center of its kind to be founded within a U.S. school of social work and pursues a dual mission of research and education.
About CaringKind
Formerly the Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter, CaringKind is New York City’s leading expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving. With over 30 years of experience, it works directly with community partners to develop the information, tools and training to support individuals and families affected by dementia.
