The White Room

The White Room is a short film that follows Seamus, who is living with dementia. We investigate an average day in his life, showing both the struggles and moments of clarity he faces. We explore his relationship with granddaughter Croía, demonstrating the caring role she plays in his life, and ultimately how she needs him as much as he needs her.

The production of this film was the basis of a research project that investigates how an audience reacts to various film techniques throughout a short film which explores the theme of dementia. These film techniques include experimenting with lighting, colour, aspect ratio and symbolism.

We chose to work around the theme of dementia as it is a growing societal issue in Ireland and it is likely that most people will encounter the disease in some form in their lifetime. Dementia is often depicted in film and media as a disease which destroys relationships and dehumanises patients. How dementia is depicted in the media—including film and literature—reflects how society will perceive the issue. Our study records audience reaction through a series of surveys that determines their preconceptions of dementia and how their understanding may have changed after viewing the film.

The main aim of The White Room is to accurately portray dementia and steer away from the negative stereotypes often seen in film. We also want our audience to gain a greater understanding of dementia, sparking thought and conversation on the topic.

Our study found that when comparing our pre and post screenings surveys, we were successful in provoking a variety of positive and negative emotions from the vast majority of our audience. We were also successful in accurately portraying dementia according to the results.

Visuals from this Project