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An ageing matriarch living with dementia becomes a viral sensation after her son sets out to preserve her precious final moments on film.
During lockdown, Dutch-Australian filmmaker Jason van Genderen began to make playful video experiments involving his mother, Hendrika – aka Oma. In doing so, he and his wife, Megan, immersed Oma’s mind in a world of familiarity and routine at a time when she could just as easily forget her children’s names. These videos offered great comfort to the family as Oma rapidly deteriorated. But, more unexpectedly, they became a worldwide smash, even receiving coverage on US shows like Good Morning America and James Corden’s The Late Late Show.
Capitalising on the candid immediacy of our screen culture in which smartphones have become, in van Genderen’s words, “organic video diaries”, Everybody’s Oma is an unforgettable and achingly affecting story of togetherness, strength and unwavering faith. Through this film that shows the humanity to be found in our darkest days – and which offers those in similar situations a guiding hand – Melbourne audiences now get to join the 100 million people who have fallen helplessly in love with this family’s journey.
“Heart-tugging … A tribute to a woman well-loved, and to the family who will never forget her, even if they slip slowly away from her mind.” – Time Out
