One Last Lecture

In 2004 my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The symptoms (stiff body, lethargic walking, slurred talking) forced him into retirement at the age of 50, from a profession that he so loved in teaching. His symptoms progressed at a rate that was uncommon for a Parkinson's sufferer, which led doctors to re-diagnose dad with Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), a more severe neurological condition with an average prognosis of nine years. A few years ago I started filming dad, aware that our time together would be affected and significantly shortened by this re-diagnosis. Initially I planned for the film to be a short piece as a way of preserving our relationship through film, as he had done with his family through home videos. The film grew and grew, leading to the involvement of a video production company and now, finally, it has hour long documentary. The film documents my dad's disease, how it affects his relationships, his self-image and his deterioration. In it, I attempt to remind him of the worth he still has left, of the lives he has touched and the difference he has made. To do so, I took him back to school to meet his former students, to give one last lecture.