Join at the Sunrise Theater for two free screenings of Alive Inside (NR | 73 minutes). This event is presented by The Foundation of FirstHealth and The Engaged Brains Project, a yearlong dementia care initiative led by board-certified neuropsychologist Karen D. Sullivan and funded by the Reid Fellowship for Healthcare Transformation.

Music can be medicine, and nothing exemplifies that more than the award-winning documentary, “Alive Inside,” which showcases how skilled nursing residents with dementia react to the exposure of their favorite music. This is the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner.

Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit Music & Memory, challenges the limitations of the healthcare system by showing how music can help fight memory loss and restore a person’s sense of identity. Alive Inside focuses on Cohen’s work, highlighting his belief and evidence that music serves as a powerful form of therapy for those with dementia. The film also prompts viewers to reflect on the role of music in healthcare. Neurologist Oliver Sacks, MD, provides a scientific perspective on how music supports mental well-being, improves brain function, and benefits people with dementia by boosting mood, reducing loneliness, triggering memories and improving communication.

A panel discussion with Karen Sullivan and dementia care advocates will follow each screening. The Engaged Brains Project aims to expand this type of intervention, applying it across various aspects of life. The project is dedicated to restoring the interests and hobbies of people with dementia in respectful and accessible ways, a concept beautifully illustrated by the film. As part of this effort, Sullivan’s work includes a personal music program designed to replicate the documentary’s approach. Thanks to a generous donation from community member Vivian Jacobson, every Moore County memory care resident will receive a personal music player this year.

The idea to screen the documentary at Sunrise Theater was inspired by Rev. Colette Bachand, a board member of the theater nonprofit, chaplain at Penick Village, and a dementia advocate with The Engaged Brains Project. This initiative is one of Rev. Bachand’s key projects to raise awareness and enhance dementia care in Moore County, a cause Karen Sullivan is thrilled to support. Rev. Bachand will join Sullivan for the panel discussion following each screening.

Tickets are first come, first serve at the theater’s box office on the day of the event.