TAKE ME OUT FEET FIRST
In June of 2017, Serene’s mother, Miriam, was diagnosed with stage 4 spindle cell sarcoma, a very rare and aggressive form of cancer.
In her lifetime, she had been a social worker for terminally ill cancer patients. She knew the fate her own diagnosis implied and did not want to put her family through the stress of watching her suffer nor did she want to endure the pain or quality of life that treatment would cause.
On the morning of August 9th Miriam opted to take advantage of California’s Death with Dignity Act. Surrounded by her family and best friend, she ingested a prescribed mixture of apple juice and barbiturates. She peacefully and painlessly slipped away after saying her goodbyes.
No further suffering.
Inspired by her mother’s courage, determination, and love she embodied in her final moments, Serene’s third directorial project, Take Me Out Feet First, will document other stories of terminally ill individuals who have bravely taken the step to be in charge of their own destiny.
Medical Aid in Dying laws exist in only 11 states and deserve national endorsement. Miriam loved her home, especially the surrounding views of Tiburon Bay. She always said that the only way she would leave was "feet first”.
GETTING TO THE NUTCRACKER
Every Christmas season, The Nutcracker Ballet is performed in cities all over the world. We love the timeless story, but what does it really take to produce this ballet each year? The documentary film Getting to The Nutcracker takes you inside the Herculean effort involved in gathering the resources, assembling the volunteers, casting the dancers, rehearsing and staging the performances of this classic ballet.
Director Serene Meshel-Dillman, a former dancer at the School of American Ballet and commercial television producer, shows you an intimate, behind-the-curtain view of the dancers, their teachers and families.
Los Angeles-based Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, led by the former Kirov star, allowed us to record everything; the auditions, the rigorous hours of training and rehearsals, the joy of landing a principal role and the pain of losing one. The ballet dancers (boys and girls ages 3-18) are profiled; passionate people who, with their families, make incredible sacrifices of time and money just so that they may dance. Best of all, you get to know these dancers. You hear about their dreams and share their triumphs and countless unexpected turns. You see it all, from talented teen artists with a future in dance to the younger, sweet children excitedly taking their turns on the stage.
THE 5TH DEMENTIA
The 5th Dementia, is a diverse band featuring former professionals from a range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds who now struggle to remember anything at all due to their illnesses; Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Parkinson's.
They come together to play and sing a list of songs compiled by their bandleader. When the music starts, they are transformed. The rhythms and melodies stir something deep within them. These men and women, leading lives with almost no social interaction and who show very little emotion outside the rehearsal space, dive right into songs from their generation without a single page of sheet music. Memories otherwise entirely unreachable are unlocked. The music has a euphoric and quality of life changing impact.
Through uniquely personal stories, from inspiring daily triumphs to the sobering toll of slow mental decline, viewers of The 5th Dementia Documentary will see an emotional, revealing look at this inexplicable phenomena.