Darkness in the Afternoon

Darkness in the Afternoon is a short drama made by Cormorant Productions and Films, Edinburgh for Channel 4 television. It has a running time of 52 minutes; 12 minutes for the DVD and a further optional 40 minutes recording of a staff discussion of the contents of the DVD and how it has affected their practice.

The drama shows the relationship between two people, Marie who has a dementia and her husband who she no longer recognises. The drama unfolds through the eyes of Marie, so that we get a glimpse of her reality when she has dementia. It powerfully highlights a number of the critical issues in dementia care such as the importance of understanding the person’s different sense of reality, reasons for changes in presentation, how to maintain communication and the impact of dementia on carers.

**Please be aware that since the production of this film, terminology in the field of dementia care has progressed. For example, it is no longer recommended that you use the term 'changes in behaviour', but instead use 'changes in presentation'.