Blueberries
writer • director • producer
A short film inspired by Alzheimer’s, family, and living in the moment.
When all hope seems lost, a caring son takes his mother and grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, to a blueberry field to connect the present and the past.
My mother and grandmother picking blueberries.
Blueberries is an honest depiction of how Alzheimer’s disease affects a family. It's inspired by my real-life experience of witnessing my mother take care of my Alzheimer’s-ridden grandmother. This debilitating disease has taught my family to cherish every moment, even those we forget. I wrote this film to show how Alzheimer's can rip a family apart but also bring it back together.
Photo by Hunter Hill
CREDITS
Writer/Director/Producer: West Givens
Producer: Raegan Levan
Director of Photography/Colorist: Joe Russ
Production Designer: Jordan Kamauoha
Actor “Will”: Walker Cody
Actor “Casey”: Dorene Robinson
Actor “Nana”: Pepi Streiff
Editor: Devon Solwold
Post Sound Supervisor: Lily Adams
1st AD: Dylan DeVries
Script Supervisor: Kelsey Kline
Gaffer: Seth Cunningham
1st AC: George Harsanyi
Production Sound Mixer: Sydney Holcomb
Production Assistant: Hannah Whitney
BTS Photo: Hunter Hill
BTS Video: Jeremiah Joswick
Production Company: Tungsten Originals
Official Selection 2022 Beyond the Short Film Festival
Official Selection 2022 Oxford Film Festival
Quarter-Finalist 2022 Big Apple Film Festival
Semi-Finalist 2022 Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival