Filmmaker Deirdre Fishel Explores Isolation of Dementia

Deirdre Fishel, a City College associate professor and prolific documentary filmmaker, visited a journalism class recently to discuss her upcoming film “Facing the Wind.” It premieres in Manhattan later this month.

Fishel, who also directs the BFA in film/video production, is known for portraying stories that often go untold, such as the barriers women police officers face and elders struggling with aging. She takes up the challenge of depicting Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a progressive, often under-discussed illness in her new film. LBD affects 1.4 million Americans and is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. 

Even though she wanted to make a film about LBD, at first, she felt unconvinced about how to tell the story. In her research, however, Fishel found her main inspiration from the community that people created when they were diagnosed with the disease. She noticed how caregivers pulled each other through this difficult experience. Fishel described her filmmaking process as a journey, one that led to unexpected places. “The great thing about a journey is that you often don’t know where it’s going to go,” she explained.

A podcast featured in her film about a group of people who wanted to spread awareness of Lewy Body Dementia, helped her determine her film’s main theme. “That feels like resilience,” she said. “A story like something very hopeful about people who are trying to do something.” 

“Facing the Wind” offers an intimate look at families impacted by LBD. Fishel followed along on a family road trip and observed that even away from home, there was no true escape for those living with the disease.  “The dementia went with him,” she said, describing a spouse with LBD who had a difficult time on the road.

After witnessing the unfortunate turn of the road trip, Fishel also recognized the shift her film would take. She observed the struggles and frustrations the wives experienced with their spouses affected by the disease. “The story that was emerging was the story of these women– the caregivers,” she said. “I started to follow the resilience of these women in the face of losing the loves of their lives.” 

Fishel hopes her film will both raise awareness about LBD and focus attention and recognition on caregivers and the challenges they face while caring for those affected by the disease. “We could make caregiving a really good job,” she said. “And we can help people get access to that care.”  

Learn more about “Facing the Wind” and how to see it, on the documentary’s website.