about the film

Synopsis

By Pamela Hogan & Connie Shulman

laury still 15

What would you do if you started to disappear? At the age of 45, Laury Sacks, an ebullient actress and the doting mother of two small children, had a reputation as the quickest wit in the room. At the age of 46, she began forgetting words. Soon she could barely speak. When a friend suggested making a film to capture her mysterious new life, Laury jumped at the idea.

This is the profoundly personal portrait of a woman in the prime of life who invites us to witness her struggle to make sense of the unthinkable. As she says straight to the camera the first day of filming: “What do I hope for? I hope for—the truth!”

For one year Laury’s friends Pam and Connie filmed what turned out to be her long, inexorable descent to frontotemporal dementia, a little-understood disease that strikes people in the prime of life.

Laury was always a storyteller and she wanted to tell her last story herself. Looks Like Laury Sounds Like Laury is the first experiential documentary about living with FTD, a fast-moving always fatal disease for which there is no cure or treatment.

This is Laury’s story.

Testimonials

 

“A moving, intimate look at one of the most terrifying and least understood disorders of the brain, fronto-temporal dementia. Laury’s story is a powerful lesson in how to face adversity with dignity, humanity, love and compassion.” 

– Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, James McGill Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, McGill University, and the author of international bestsellers “This Is Your Brain on Music” and “The World in Six Songs.”

 

“Poignant, intimate and moving … A very finely crafted piece of work. Laury’s story needs to be told and seen by as wide an audience as possible.” 

– Rodney Pearlman, Ph.D. / President, The Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia

 

“Very powerful and moving film! A lovely and captivating visual memoir that will be a powerful resource for increasing awareness across the country for caregivers and families affected by FTD.”

 – Susan L-J Dickinson, MSExecutive DirectorThe Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration

 

“A very beautiful documentary which can be a wonderful training film for health professionals, caregivers, and especially home health aides. It demonstrates key features of Frontotemporal degeneration including primary progressive aphasia, repetitive behaviors, difficulty of diagnosis, agitation, etc., and especially the impact on loved ones.” 

– Jill Goldman, MS, MPhil, Certified Genetic Counselor, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, Member of the Medical Advisory Council of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration