Name: Can't Stop Breathing
Genre: Short
Released: 2005-12-09
Duration: 12 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Jane Lapotaire, Lynsey Baxter, Jake the Postie

A bittersweet short, set in the Scottish Highlands, is about the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient, and the difficulty taking care of her mother presents. Ultimately, love does conquer, but the the pain remains.

Louise (a hauntingly beautiful Lynsey Baxter), is the single daughter of Daisy, her 'mum' (Jane Lapotaire), a woman, who we first see standing on a windswept hill - lost in a shattered world, calling for HER mother.

Louise calls out 'mum', as she is looking for Daisy, who is quite obviously, affected by the ravages of Alzheimer's.

After Louise finds Daisy, and brings her home, she sets forth preparing a party - a birthday party for Daisy.

Silence permeates the mood, with barely anything other than the natural sounds, showing how cut off Louise is in her effort to have some semblance of normalcy.

Louise is like an island; alone - her sister - Daisy's other daughter sends flowers rather than come for her mother's birthday. She calls (at the last moment) and says she...'has to take care of her 'family'...you'd do the same...', leaving Louise alone.

The preparations continue, as the stillness of Louise's life, and the affect taking care of her mother is having on her.

The stress builds to a moment that Louise sees as her only way out of this situation, and - she believes - is something Daisy wants.

But, when Louise can't follow through, the stress that has been building is (momentarily) released, as the 2 woman celebrate Daisy's birthday, and, for just a moment - Louise HAS her mother back - before she sinks back into her own twilight.

Beautifully acted, and shot - with sparse dialogue, this short shows the bond, and love these two connected woman share - but which are separated by the deep chasm that is Alzheimer's.

Happy birthday, Daisy. And to all our mothers.

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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An exploration of the relationship between a woman with Alzheimer's and her daughter, who is also her primary care-giver.

Lynsey Baxter and Jane Lapotaire in Can't Stop Breathing (2005)

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Garroch Estate, St. Johns Town of Dalry, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK

Can't Stop Breathing

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