“Everybody’s Oma” (G) ***

THIS Australian documentary is a gentle message film observing a family dealing with a tension that its members neither expected or deserved.

“Oma” is Dutch for “Mum”. Filmmaker Jason van Genderen wants you to enjoy watching his affectionate memorial to his mother Hendrika, who died early this year, her 90th. 

Apparently Jason shot much of the film on his iPhone, which allowed him to capture moments that deserved the kind of treatment he sought to provide during her last four years when she was beset with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (the film also contains a goodly amount of footage of her during years before that began).

Aren’t those two unwellness conditions the same thing? Not exactly. Dementia is a group of symptoms that negatively impact memory. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that slowly causes impairment in memory and cognitive function. Either of them is nasty. Both at the same time is more so. 

The film’s genesis began when Hendrika started to fall occasionally. Jason and wife Meghan brought her to live in a granny flat where the film spends a fair proportion of its 93 minutes.

The film is an assurance to its audiences that even when dementia and Alzheimer’s overwhelm the sufferer’s existence, the carer’s most significant acts are patience and understanding. 

Jason van Genderen puts his iPhone down to say some final words: “I hope ‘Everybody’s Oma’ will create meaningful change about how we care for our elders whilst encouraging everyone to reconnect with what’s really most important in their lives.” That’s a lesson for us all.

At Dendy