'Wandering Off' Film Sheds Light on Mysterious Sundowner’s Syndrome

BROOKFIELD, CT — A group of students from Western Connecticut State University are about to embark upon a journey to bring awareness to a little-known form of dementia called Sundowner's Syndrome.

The film, Wandering Off, was written, directed and produced by Brittany Nisco of New Milford, and will be shot primarily in Brookfield with additional scenes taking place in Sherman, New Milford and Woodbury. Nisco told Patch that the film centers on a family with parents suffering from this form of dementia and the dynamic for the children as a result of their parents' illness. The siblings are holding onto decades of tension while their past continually creeps up on them while grappling with what has happened to their parents, who they are now and who they thought they would be.

Sundowner’s Syndrome causes symptoms of confusion in people who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of dementia and occur after sundown, according to sundownerfacts.com. Not all patients who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s exhibit Sundowner’s symptoms. Some people exhibit symptoms of dementia all day which grow worse in the late afternoon and evening, while others may exhibit no symptoms until the sun goes down.

"Sundowner’s Syndrome largely remains a mystery to medical science, although there are several theories about why these symptoms begin at night. More and more studies are being conducted to try to determine the exact cause," the website explained.

Nisco said she was inspired to write the film after hearing the 90's song "The Way" by Fastball.

"It came on my iPod while driving home from NYC one day and I listened to it the whole way home envisioning the story. I started writing it as soon as I got home. The more I researched about Sundowner's and missing persons, the more I was intrigued by this. I thought, not only would it be a good story to tell, but it can also shed some light on an issue not many people know about."

Nisco said she has always wanted to be in movies.

"When I was 13 they filmed Mr. Deeds in my hometown of New Milford. I skipped school to watch them film the first day and after about an hour I realized I wanted to be the one calling the shots. After watching them film for a couple weeks, I was hooked. I realized I wanted to be able to tell a story like my idol Steven Spielberg and have been on a mission ever since to do so. I even wrote my college thesis on E.T. The older I got, the more I realized there weren't many female directors that were well known. I remember watching Kathryn Bigelow win Best Director at the 2008 Academy Awards, and while I was excited for her, I wondered why has it taken so long for a female to break into this category and win? There hasn't been any female director wins since then, and I'm hoping that in the next few years, I also get there."

The biggest challenge she says she has come across has been the funding.

"We knew when going into this, that the funding was going to be a challenge. I think that people forget how many different things you need in order to make a quality movie, and everything costs money,"she said.

But still, she and her colleagues and crew are ready to roll.

Connor Misset, a producer and camera operator said, "This whole process has been exhilarating and an invaluable experience."

John Murray, of Weston is a line producer and said of the project, "Getting the opportunity to work on this movie still sometimes feels surreal. The whole crew has become a family and getting to pursue this dream of ours together has been the best time of my life."

Nisco said that her crew has been working together for years now and are working their way up together, hoping to go all the way to Hollywood.

"When you start working with a crew you spend so much time together that you become like a family. Luckily, we're one that works very well together. I wouldn't be able to make this movie without them, and I wouldn't want anyone else," Nisco said.

The film stars Catherine Hyland, who acted in Edge of Night, Law and Order and a number of New York City productions. Rob Scebelo, a WCSU alum, also stars in the film. He has acted in The Amazing Spiderman 2 and Broad City. Additional actors have not yet been confirmed.

Nisco said she hopes the film can shed some light on Sundowner's and missing persons.

"Not only is it be a good story to tell, but it can also shed some light on an issue not many people know about."

For more information about the film, visit the website.

Image via Wandering Off film website