Alive Inside

Alive Inside, directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett, is a documentary about social worker Dan Cohen discovering how giving Alzheimer's and dementia patients personalized playlists on iPods can ease their pain and awaken minds through music embedded deep in memory. The director originally planned to follow Cohen for just one day, but was so moved that the project grew into a three year undertaking. The film's footage of Henry, a dementia patient who had sat with his head bowed for a decade, suddenly coming "alive" when he hears music selected just for him, was viewed more than seven million times on YouTube and inspired hundreds of young people to play music for their own elderly relatives. The film won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Who it's for: anyone curious about the three year documentary behind the viral footage of a dementia patient suddenly "awakening" to a personalized playlist. Who it's not for: those wanting a detached, purely scientific examination, since some critics noted the film leans heavily on emotional impact and a fundraising-adjacent tone.