While I'm Still Living Etches a Heartfelt Story

No matter the battle, love is stronger.

While I’m Still Living is a short film directed by Layla O’Shea about a father and son struggling with the trials of Alzheimer’s Disease. They find connection and solace in an unlikely place.

When I saw While I’m Still Living at the Lois Weber Film Festival, it left the entire auditorium emotional. This film tells a deeply heartfelt story. Stories that explore Alzheimer’s Disease are integral. While the illness is devastating, we can’t let it stop us from living.

Layla O’Shea is a screenwriter, co-producer, and has directed three films. She won a Best Director award for her movie, A Particular Minute. O’Shea’s discovery of screenwriting kicked off her love for the craft in 2009. Through various projects, she likes to focus on character-driven stories that matter.

The story for While I’m Still Living is based on writer and executive producer DeAnn Michelle SanVal’s father, who had Alzheimer’s. SanVal requested O’Shea to sign up as the film’s director for the Two-Week Film Challenge through the Motion Picture Institute. Hesitant at first due to the tight schedule, O’Shea accepted.

The team had a lot to tackle in the two-week timeframe. While filming only took two days, SanVal wrote the script as O’Shea completed pre-preproduction tasks.

It was also the time to cast the film. Acting talent matters most to O’Shea. “I wish to take people out of their own lives and truly put them in the shoes of others. It’s how we learn humility... and humanity,” she said.

Dax Campbell and Eric Waterhouse play Jake and Pops. O’Shea was eager to work with Campbell after meeting him in a local cafe in Hollywood. Filmmakers didn’t find their ‘Pops’ until casting Waterhouse the day before shooting started!

Jake and Pop’s dynamic is the film’s core. They’re still trying to continue their normal routine, like Jake making his father eggs for breakfast and going to work, but roadblocks remind them of the disease.

Campbell sold the emotion of his character. Jake isn’t the type who wears his emotions on his sleeves. While Pops isn’t open about the struggles with his battle, he doesn’t want to succumb yet.

Alzheimer’s is never outright said in the story. O’Shea uses subtle cues in her direction on this transition. It’s evident how the disease affects the pair’s relationship with the silence. “I wanted to represent the person struggling, not as their disease, but as a human being with feelings,” O’Shea said.

I wasn’t expecting the turnout in the film’s climax. Most films about Alzheimer’s feature characters in one setting, signifying how stuck they feel. Instead, While I’m Still Living transports the audience to a new and lively setting.

Cinematographer Brent Mata distinguishes between the darker and brighter tones of the character’s emotions. Special mention also goes to editor Eliot Galan and sound designer Tristan Curbishley, who completed their post-production tasks within two days before the deadline.

Compassion, patience, and understanding are the main themes in While I’m Still Living. Being a caregiver is not easy, especially for the care receiver. The scene that melted my heart was Pops telling his son he loved him. All the emotions pour out of the response, adding to the weight of the situation.

O’Shea made this film to remind audiences that anyone with Alzheimer’s is not their disease. “We need to remember they are individuals first. Individuals who loved and laughed and had dreams... and may still have all those things,” she said.

The ending of While I’m Still Living made me smile and elicited applause. O’Shea’s short film is therapeutic and may help viewers find answers.