STORY

For a year now, asking this question has been my daily task. Among the people I ask are women and men who have three times the life experience as I do.

My name is John. I work at a nursing home for the elderly. With an average age of 80, residents spend their twilight years in quiet comfort. But unfortunately, many are now living with Alzheimer�fs disease or other forms of dementia. In the year that I have been working with them, a new treatment has kept the residents busy. Evelyn, 94, was diagnosed with Alzheimer�fs disease more than two years ago. At first she could not write her own name and had difficulty communicating, but four months into the treatment, she rediscovered her interest in knitting. Still without a cure, Alzheimer's disease robs its victims of their memory, their pride, and at times even their will to live. But what if simple reading, writing and calculating could counteract some of the effects of this disease? This documentary follows a research study of a treatment in Cleveland, Ohio. It pursues the answers to what it means to live a happy life, and what may be considered a truly happy conclusion to that life. What would it be like to have a happy ending for those who suffer from dementia? They can become themselves again and say "goodbye" with a smile on their face.

About the treatment program

The six-month-long treatment put into action is the fruit of the cooperative research of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima and KUMON. It was developed in Japan in over a decade of practical application in collaboration with professional caregivers at care facilities. Sessions take place every day for 30 minutes. They consist of short reading and writing exercises and simple arithmetic questions, all administered in a conversational manner by facility staff. In 2011, 23 live-in residents with dementia participated in the treatment at the Eliza Jennings Home in Cleveland. This was the first trial of the program outside of Japan.

STAFF

	Producer / Director Shigeru Ota joined Sendai Television in 1998. After working in the news department, he has directed several kinds of documentary programs. Recently he has been focusing on brain science, and is currently producing a brain fitness program, "The Brain Trainer Exercise" in which the brain becomes more active.
	Director Naomi Kazama holds producer credits for "The Brain Trainer Exercise SP" and also for international entertainment programs and documentaries. She has also directed documentaries about the tea ceremony in Kyoto, Wiener Staatsoper, Boston Museum, Clube Atlético Paranaense, and IMG Tennis. Her documentary on the silver medalist figure skater Mao Asada received much acclaim.
	Cameraman Katsumi Matsumoto is a president of COSMO SPACE of AMERICA. As a cameraman, he has experienced to shoot not only in the U.S., but also Brazil and Argentina for many TV documentaries, entertainments and news, on topics ranging from sports, nature, and science. He also made the original script for movie "Little Tear."
	Scriptwriter Hiroshi Takeda began work as a director of music and quiz programs in 1987. In 1995, he turned to broadcast writing after starting up his own company. He is best known for work on shows such as the documentary program "Jinsei no Rakuen (Life's Paradise)," about people starting a new endeavor after reaching middle age. He is also known for his work on shows hosted by the renowned film director and comedian Takeshi Kitano.
	Scriptwritier Roger Pulvers has published over 40 books in English and Japanese. Many of his plays have been produced in Japan, Australia and the U.S. and he has published translations from Japanese, Russian and Polish. Roger acted as assistant to director Nagisa Oshima on the film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," and in 2009 won Best Script Award at the Teheran International Film Festival for "Best Wishes for Tomorrow."