Watch Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory is an uplifting and heartwarming documentary film from 2014 that explores the healing power of music on people suffering from dementia and other forms of memory loss. The movie follows the journey of social worker Dan Cohen, who has a deep passion for bringing personalized music to elderly people in nursing homes. Despite initially encountering skepticism and reluctance from some nursing home staff, Cohen perseveres and begins to document the remarkable transformations that occur when people with memory loss listen to music from their youth.

The film uses a combination of interviews, footage of Cohen's interactions with nursing home residents, and scientific research to demonstrate the profound effects of music on the brain. As Cohen says in the film, "Music has more ability to activate more parts of the brain than any other stimulus."

One of the standout moments in the movie is when we see Henry, a man with advanced dementia who has been nearly non-responsive for many years, come alive while listening to music on an iPod. He sings along with the music, remembers details from his past, and tears up while talking about his love for his wife, who passed away many years ago.

The film also highlights the power of music to connect people across generations and cultures. We see a young girl playing violin for elderly residents of a nursing home, and we witness the joy on both sides as they connect through the music.

Throughout the movie, we meet a diverse cast of characters, including nursing home staff, family members of nursing home residents, and of course, the nursing home residents themselves. The film does an excellent job of humanizing each person and showing the unique challenges they face while also illustrating how music can help them overcome these obstacles.

The film's message is ultimately one of hope and inspiration, as it shines a bright light on the power of music to improve people's lives in the face of difficult circumstances. It also raises important questions about how we as a society care for our elderly population, and how we can do better to ensure that they receive the dignity and respect they deserve.

The cinematography and editing in Alive Inside are also worth noting. The film uses creative camera angles and shots to capture the emotions of the nursing home residents and the powerful moments when they connect with the music. The editing is seamless and keeps the pacing of the film moving along, making it easy to be swept up in the stories being told.

In conclusion, Alive Inside is an excellent documentary that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in the power of music or in improving the lives of our elderly population.

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.2 and a MetaScore of 67.