WALK WITH ME Documentary

Screening to be followed by a conversation with AFI Conservatory Alumna and filmmaker Heidi Levitt and subject Charlie Hess.

The directorial debut of veteran casting director Heidi Levitt, WALK WITH ME chronicles Levitt and her husband Charlie Hess’ experience with Alzheimer’s disease, following his early onset diagnosis in 2019 at age 57. In these early stages, we see Charlie speak lucidly and engagingly on camera, his sense of humor on display. But we also see the memory gaps and the difficulty processing certain information. Along with his wife and caregiver Heidi, Charlie consults a number of medical specialists, many top figures in the field. A talented magazine art director, Charlie enjoys taking art therapy classes, and even consults a faith healer at one point. Levitt’s film distinguishes itself from other documentaries on the subject by foregrounding the caregiver’s role and experience alongside that of the person afflicted with Alzheimer’s. It’s evident that the work and responsibility are all-consuming and overwhelming. At one point, a doctor informs Levitt that, statistically, caregivers’ lives are shortened by the experience, often predeceasing the subject of their care. Levitt receives this unsettling news stoically, managing the potentially turbulent emotions that each day can bring. Though many things remain unsaid, this remarkable documentary’s emotional depth and resonance are undeniable. –Todd Hitchcock