Walk With Me — When Love Adapts
When the love of your life is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, life takes an unexpected turn. For better or worse — that’s up to you.
In Heidi’s case, she decided she would not let it destroy their marriage. To better understand Alzheimer’s, Heidi documents their journey as they adapt to a new reality, provide care at home, and continue finding joy together. While Charlie’s cognitive faculties gradually decline and signs of dementia become more apparent, his charm, warmth, and spirit take centre stage — transforming what could have been a dark journey into a powerful story of love, resilience, and the importance of human connection. This moving documentary film is a testament to the strength, humour, and resilience of the human spirit.
Age-related memory loss and signs of dementia are often viewed as taboo or surrounded by shame. By sharing their story, Heidi Levitt and her husband, Charlie Hess, hope to help break that stigma.
The screening of the documentary film Walk with me, followed by a talkback with Montreal director Heidi Levitt, will take place at the CineStarz Cavendish Mall on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Reserve your place today! Sign up online or call 514.343.3510.
Watch the trailer here.
Heidi Levit — Director, Writer, Producer and Charlie’s Wife
Heidi Levitt is an award-winning casting director and executive producer whose credits include the Academy Award-winning film The Artist and collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Oliver Stone, Wayne Wang, Sally Potter, and Wim Wenders. Her experience and perspective led her to direct, write, and produce Walk With Me, a documentary film created to help people showing signs of dementia and their caregivers.
What makes this film especially powerful is how deeply personal it is to her, as Charlie’s wife. It is a moving and courageous account of their shared journey.
To learn more about their story, you can visit the Walk With Me Instagram page. Raising awareness and breaking the stigma around signs of dementia has become a central part of their mission.
Dementia Widow — A Book on Love, Loss and Resilience
Like Heidi, Fay Martin is also a wife-turned caregiver. Having always loved writing, she chose to share her story in Dementia Widow, a powerful and insightful book about navigating dementia and loss. When you take it upon yourself to provide care at home for a spouse or family member living with age-related memory loss or signs of dementia, it can take a toll on you. Fay has experienced it firsthand. For fifteen years, she was the primary caregiver for her husband as he lived with dementia.
Fay’s book seeks to recognize the essential yet often invisible work of family caregivers. Age-related memory loss is difficult to witness; it can feel like you are losing a part of the person you love — and even a part of yourself — as you give so much of your time and energy. You can end up mourning the person they once were and the relationship you once had. Providing care at home for loved ones presenting signs of dementia can be deeply challenging. Through her book, Fay hopes to offer comfort, insight, and recognition to all who walk this path.
Fay Martin and Montreal author Amy Fish — Join the Conversation!
Fay Martin, the author of Dementia Widow, will be joined on May 28 at 3:30 p.m. by Montreal author Amy Fish to discuss the book at the Cummings Centre. Join us for what promises to be an enlightening conversation and get your very own copy of Dementia Widow.
Register online or call 514.343.3510.