‘Conscious’ Director on Exploring the Brain Through the Lens of Dementia and How Shakespeare Inspired the Copenhagen-Bound Doc

Suki Chan and co-editor Michael Ellis of 'Superman' fame discuss her debut feature, their collaboration, artistic inspirations, "transporting" viewers to inner worlds, and the surprising "gifts of dementia." 'Conscious' Courtesy of Conscious Productions Studio Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Can subjective consciousness be studied objectively? And what remains of us when our internal landscape fragments? Those are just two of the questions explored by the new feature film Conscious, about the mysteries of the brain from writer and director Suki Chan, a London-based artist and filmmaker. Her debut feature will world premiere on March 14 in the 23rd edition of CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. The film from Aconite Productions and Conscious Productions Studio looks at what it means to be conscious through the lens of dementia. As such, in Conscious, the mysteries of the brain meet the lived reality of the minds of three women navigating dementia. And neuroscientist Anil Seth, who has dedicated his career to studying consciousness, finds his professional and personal lives intersect as scientific questions become personal. Related Stories Business ITV CEO on Paramount's Renewed Ambition and ITV Studios After Banijay, All3Media Megadeal: "We Don't Feel It Will Have Any Impact on Us" Business ITV Remains in Sky Deal Talks, Posts Slight Full-Year Studios Profit Drop, Ad Revenue Falls 5 Percent Taking audiences beyond what we see are unusual visuals and rich, textured soundscapes as Conscious invites viewers inside altered landscapes of awareness. The creative team promises “an optimistic, cinematic experience, taking us closer to understanding the strength and frailty of the human mind.” Produced by Aimara Reques, Teresa Grimes and Chan, Conscious features cinematography by David Lee and Catherine Derry and music by Dominik Scherrer. Chan edited the film with Michael Ellis, an editor who is known for the likes of Hollywood blockbuster Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Chris Parks (The Tree of Life, The Fountain) contributed microscopic cloud tank imagery. The film was financed by Screen Scotland, BFI/Doc Society and Sundance/Sandbox Films. Aconite Productions is handling sales. THR talked to Chan and Ellis about Conscious and taking viewers inside the mysterious world of the human brain. Suki, why did you want to make a film about dementia and how people navigate it, and how did your personal background and experiences play into it? Chan I set out to make a film about the nature of consciousness, with dementia intended as one chapter. I was inspired by Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man, to view the human lifespan as a series of shifting stages of awareness – with dementia as a later stage of that journey. My fascination with the brain stems from years of making work about perception, but it became more personal during my first pregnancy. I found myself wondering about my son’s sensorium inside the womb – what was his experience, and what was he aware of? Growing up as the youngest of five, I have always been surrounded by older people. In Chinese culture, we have a proverb: “A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold.” I grew up caring for my grandmother and witnessed her gradual physical and mental decline. More recently, I have been navigating a similar journey with my own mother, who was diagnosed with dementia last year. For me, I see human consciousness as a bell-shaped curve – rising in our early years and receding in our later ones. As an artist, I am drawn to these overlooked, taboo or transitional spaces of human experience. Rather than choosing a subject with a more immediate link to consciousness, such as locked-in syndrome, I was drawn to the complexities of dementia and the profound implications for how we understand the self. ‘Conscious,’ courtesy of Conscious Productions Studio courtesy of Conscious Productions Studio I was so surprised to also hear the ladies featured in the doc mentioning things they like about the new them?! Did you learn things you didn’t expect and that surprised you? I met Pegeen O’Sullivan during my artist residency at Belong care homes. I wanted to learn about the experiences of people living with dementia, and how their families and friends are impacted. It was a transformative experience, and Pegeen’s story really struck me – when she told me that she was no longer afraid. I became aware of another narrative of the dementia story – as well as stealing our memories, and dismantling the self, dementia can also rid us of our fear and childhood traumas. Before I began my research, I shared the common assumption that dementia was about memory loss. It was inspiring to hear Wendy Mitchell speak about the “gifts of dementia.” Seeing someone find silver linings with such a cruel disease was