Such a wonderful documentary about those suffering from Alzheimer's or Dementia and how music reaches and transforms them. Stories of hope, transformation and very uplifting, considering the subject. Sharing this movie with everyone I know...so they can help anyone they know, suffering from these diseases. "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." ― Plato

Amazing movie. I have no words for how moved I was.. just watch it!

For Choose.Act.Impact day of community service, I got to watch this film to understand the struggles that the elderly with dementia experience. I was not anticipating for this movie to make me cry so hard. It was such a beautiful , profound experience for me.

It's true that the music instantly brings back the memories that we have sometimes forgotten. And there're many things we can do without needing to be dependant on the conventional methods.

This movie is one of those that everyone should be required to see. Being in the field of music, this movie is so impactful and proves to me and will prove to everyone why music is SO important. In this movie, you will see that music literally keeps people from becoming lifeless.

Music is magic and so is this film. ��

excellent moving documentary recommended

The short documentary tells the story of a scientist who is trying to raise awareness to an alternative therapy to mental illness, wich is based on music. In several experiments when some elder people on nursing homes with dementia or alzheimer were given headsets and ipods with music they used to like their behavior improved and also some memories were suddenly enlightened again. The link between music and emotion is very strong. We are often surrounded by music when we love, dance, study, exercice, drive, cook. Some music strike us and make some moments or peoples deep remarkable.Thats the path Alive Inside navigates. One of the main points I'd like to stress however is how harmful is to some elder people to live in nursing home, sad, doped, struggling with mental isolation because the outward world has became a torment. The doc criticizes this structure in health care and in western society where elders and tradiction have no function. Becouse of alzheimer my grandmother died twice. Before her actual death she lost her memories, then her identidy was not long there. When her sons and daughters, my uncles and aunts, would visit her it was no more a moment of joy, but full of worries. My father's family decided not to send her to a nursing home, it would be abandon they'd say. She lived untill 96 and on her last decade the decease just got worse. Whenever I visited her, she looked at my face as I was a funny stranger and I used to say "come on, don't you remenber you favorite grandson?", just to hear the name of my counsins instead - that was unfair. I just wanna explain how music still connect us: she was always with a little radio listen to some religious broadcast (she was a passionate catholich) and thereby, because this kind of song resembles her, I listen to some once in a while althoug i'm atheist.

Loved this film. We need this program in Canada!

El documental sigue durante 3 años a un asistente social trabajando en asilos de ancianos en USA. Su gracia es que intenta traer a flote recuerdos perdidos en gente con demencia senil al utilizar música que esa gente amó hace muchos años. Y caramba que lo logra. El docu es de una belleza enorme al mostrar el florecer de caras inicialmente marchitas. Es una prueba del poder curativo de la música, y se plantea como un tratamiento alternativo (complementario) al Alzheimer. Muchas reacciones distintas (sonrisas, canto, palabras de gente que no hablaba, recuerdos), pero todas positivas. Quizás se omitieron casos en que no pasó nada al aplicar música, pero lo más importante es la esperanza de una vida más digna en los casos en que si funcionó. Hermoso. Mas allá de la demencia senil, el documental tb habla en general de la música. De como somos seres como predeterminados para la música, a diferencia de otros animales. No hay otra actividad que ponga a funcionar tantas partes del cerebro al mismo tiempo como la música (he ahí la explicación a pq es tan beneficioso usarla como terapia en este caso). Personalmente, la música es el amor de mi vida, por eso encontré tan lindo el docu, por como celebra su importancia para los seres humanos. Sin música somos seres incompletos :)

i think no other movie has ever touched me more deeply. i couldn't care less about how imperfect it is as a documentary; one minute into it and i was already crying like a fucking baby (gosh, i still am, to be honest).

One of the better docs I've seen in awhile. I've seen other films on the subject of music and memory but this particular film went,not only into the experience Alzheimer patients get from listening to music, but also discussed what's wrong with our health care system and treating the elderly with drugs instead of human interaction and stimulating their minds. A must see!

The best thing I've seen in quite a while. Heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. My god the power of music.

Brilliant!!! Conceptually it's just brilliant. Things it feels as tho I've always known, albeit unable to articulate. Well, they do that here just beautifully. Whether one sees this as a scientific exploration into a really interesting phenomenon, or as an emotional jouney that feels unparalleled, this film is way, way worth the investment of time and $. Here's hoping you find it as meaningful as did I!!!

Moving, inspiring! Can't imagine life w/o my music!

A fascinating and powerful documentary that should inspire emotions through viewers. It loses focus at times, but gets its message across, and succeeded in lifting my mood. Verdict: B+

Many people on social media will remember the story of Henry which went viral the last year. That was just a small chunk of the beauty that exists within this project. Sense memory is very strong in eliciting deep rooted events from the past, and with just an iPod and some Big Band music Dan is able to show how much lies beneath in the minds of these forgotten people. Watching their eyes widen with joy is one thing, but to hear the previously catatonic become so chatty about their olden days is electric. I was curious to see how they'd fill out 77 minutes on this topic, so it's only a matter of time to where this becomes a mix of Mr. Holland's Opus and Awakenings as they delve into where music comes from and why it's so important to our humanity. Moreover, they also discuss the missteps that have been made in elder care for the past 50 years, but luckily it doesn't become preachy or dark. My thoughts on this movie come from a very personal place as I have had 3 grandparents who suffered from Alzheimer's, no doubt anyone who has a family member with dementia will be affected by the power this film.

Fantastic! Well worth the watch!

I loved this documentary. It shows how much music really amazing and important it is. How it can even bring Alzheimer's and dementia patients memories back and make them feel alive again.

My mom works in a rest home & believe me, this music therapy works.