Nöroloji Tarihinden History of Neurology Prof. Dr. Dursun Kırbaş1, Dr.Buğra Çetin2 1Erenköy Training and Research Hospital for Mental Disorders, Department of Neurology, İstanbul, Turkey Neurology and Cinema ²Erenköy Training and Research Hospital for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry,stanbul, Turkey SUMMARY Neurological diseases are the subject of art due to its effect on daily life, interpersonel relationships and social life. In this article we look into relationship between neurology and cinema by reviewing Turkish and world cinema. Keywords: Neurology, cinema, art ÖZET Nörolojik hastalıklar kişilerin günlük yaşamında, diğer kişiler ile olan ilişkilerinde ve toplumsal alandaki kuvvetli etkileri nedeniyle sıklıkla çeşitli sanat alanlarında işlenmektedir. Bu makalede sinema ve nöroloji ilişkisi ele alınmış olup, filmlere konu olan nörolojik hastalıklar Türk ve dünya sinemasından örneklerle gözden geçirilmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Nöroloji, sinema, sanat Introduction Cast: Onur Ünsal, Derya Alabora and Tsilla Chelton In the past, the characters in the Turkish movies were Synopsis: The movie is about three either diagnosed with brain tumors based on a cranial x-ray siblings who travel to a small village without any neurological consultation and given a month in the western Blacksea region where they mother lives. As their personal and to live or they would be given made-up disorders without interpersonal problems begin to surface, basing their symptoms on an existing disease. This naturally the three siblings begin to question their would leave the audience unsatisfied. Today, we see that own lives in the company of their mother the issue is approached more carefully in the World as well who has Alzheimer’s disease (AD). as Turkish cinema and that the contemporary examples Evim Sensin possess striking scientific realism. Director: Özcan Deniz The relationship between psychiatry and cinema allured world cinema with its richness and depth for a long Cast: Özcan Deniz, Gizem Denizli and Fahriye Evcen time. There have been numerous masterpieces, countless Synopsis: Turkish adaptation of the Korean movie A articles and books. Psychiatrists even used this relationship Moment to Remember. between cinema and psychiatry for therapeutic purposes 2- Epilepsy (1). Bal (“Honey”, 2010) Despite the shallow breadth of the neurology in the Director: Semih Kaplanoğlu history of cinema, we recently witnessed an upsurge of Cast: Bora Atlus, Erdal Beşikçioğlu several masterpieces in the world and Turkish cinema. and Tülin Özen Screenwriters have been taking the matters more seriously Synopsis: About the difficulties that and the directors have been doing their homeworks. For Yusuf and his father who has epilepsy instance, in the movie Bal (“Honey”, 2010) (director: Semih experience. Kaplanoğlu), the lead actor’s performance in the epileptic 3- Cerebral Palsy seizure scene was indistinguishable from the real thing. Gülüm (2003) In this article we review neurology-themed movies Director: Zeki Ökten grouped under their neurological disease categories, Cast: Tarık Akan, Okan Bayülgen, İdil starting from domestic productions and continuing on to Fırat and Kıvanç Yeniay the global cinema. Synopsis: In this movie Kıvanç Yeniay Neurology and the Turkish Cinema who has cerebral palsy plays the role of a grandson who 1- Alzheimer’s Disease has a neurological impairment. In a way, he plays his own Pandora’s Box(2008) life. 160 Nöroloji Tarihinden History of Neurology Neurology and the World The Savages (2007) Cinema Director: Tamara Jenkins 1- Alzheimer’s Disease Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Aurora Borealis (2005) Bosco Director: James C.E. Burke Synopsis: The story of siblings who Cast: Joshua Jackson, Donald have to face their familial responsibilities Sutherland and Juliette Lewis during they look after their father with AD. Synopsis: The love affair between a young man who moved to a new A Moment To Remember (2004) city in order to look after his Alzheimer’s patient grandfather Director: John H. Lee and his young caretaker. Cast: Woo-sung Jung, Ye-jin Son and Away From Her (2006) Jong-hak Baek Director: Sarah Polley Synopsis: A Korean movie about two young people Cast: Julie Christie, Michael falling in love and the girl getting diagnosed with AD. Murphy, Gordon Pinsent A Song For Martin (2001) Synopsis: Fiona and Grant have Director: Bille August been married happily for 40 years. Cast: Sven Wollter, Viveka Seldahl and Reine Brynolfsson Fiona gets diagnosed with AD and Synopsis: A Swedish movie about the changes of the leaves the house one day and never lives in Martin the composer and Barbara the violinist when returns. When she was found, it is Martin is diagnosed with AD. decided that the best course of action Firefly Dreams (2001) is to get her into a care facility for dementia. When Grant visits her after Director: John Williams 30 days, he sees that she forgot him Cast: Maho, Tsutomu Niwa and Etsuko Kimata and fell in love with another man. Synopsis: A Japanese movie about the relationship Iris (2001) between a troubled teenager Naomi and her elderly Director: Richard Eyre neighbor woman with AD whom she cares for. Cast: Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet Age Old Friends (1989) Synopsis: The love story of the author and scholar Director: Allan Kroeker Iris Murdoch and her wife John Bayley starting from their Oyucular: Aaron Alexander, Frummie Blatt and Hume school years and continuing onto the years where she Cronyn struggles with AD. Synopsis: John Cooper decides to stay in a nursing home instead of living with his daughter but his daughter The Notebook (2004) soon asks him to move in with him again. John Cooper has Director: Nick Cassavetes to decide between staying with his friend with dementia in the nursing home and living with his daughter. Cast: Gena Rowlands, James Garner and Rachel 2- Epilepsy McAdams A Fighting Choice (1986) Synopsis: The story of Director: Ferdinand Fairfax a man who tells to his wife Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Beau Bridges and Karen living in an Alzheimer care Valentine facility their love stories Synopsis: A story about the legal battles between an through a notebook. epileptic young man in order to receive an experimental surgical operation to cure his Grand Mal episodes and his family who does not allow it. 161 Nöroloji Tarihinden History of Neurology A Matter of Life and Death Stairway to Heaven (1946) order to help her daughter who has epilepsy. Directorler: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger 3- Neuromuscular Disorders Cast: David Niven, Kim Hunter and Robert Coote Darius Goes West (2007) Synopsis: A story about a fighter pilot who has temporal Director: Logan Smalley lobe epilepsy. Cast: Darius Weems, Andrew Carson and Daniel Epting Cleopatra (1963) Synopsis: The story of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz patient Darius when he leaves home for the first time with Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison 11 of his friends and travels in the USA to participate in Synopsis: The movie tells the victories and the tragedies MTV’s Pimp My Ride to get his wheelchair pimped up. of Cleopatra. Caesar’s epilepsy is an integral part of his Extraordinary Measures (2010) character and the plot. Director: Tom Vaughan Requiem (2006) Cast: Brendan Fraser, Keri Russel and Harrison Ford Director: Hans Christian Schmid Synopsis: A couple’s struggle for the treatment of their Cast: Sandra Hüller, Burghart Klausner and Imogen child who is diagnosed with Pompe disease Kogge Lorenzo’s Oil (1992) Synopsis: When the epileptic heroine Michaela starts Director: George Miller losing her faith in god, the exorcism rituals begin to get rid Cast: Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon and Peter Ustinov of the demons that possessed her. Synopsis: A father who learns everything about The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) adrenoleukodystrophy just to be able to help his kid who is Director: Scott Derrickson diagnosed with this disease. Cast: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson My Left Foot (1989) and Shohreh Aghdashloo Director: Jim Sheridan Synopsis: The events after a Cast: Daniel Day Lewis, Brenda Fricker and Alison lawyer takes on the neglected case Whelan of a girl and her exorcist priest. Synopsis: Christy Brown who has cerebral palsy learns First Do No Harm (1997) to paint pictures and write with her left foot, which is the Director: Jim Abrahams only limb she has any control over. Cast: Meryl Streep, Fred Ward 4-Migren and Seth Adkins Lily’s Mom (2011) Synopsis: The story of a mother who searches for Director: Edmund Messina alternative treatment methods for her epileptic son who Cast: Kimberly Harsch, Connie Cowper and Jessica gets progressively worse. Butler The Exploding Girl (2009) Synopsis: The movie written and Director: Bradley Rust Gray directed by Dr Edmund Messina who Cast: Zoe Kazan, Mark Rendall and Maryann Urbano is a headache specialist tells the stories Synopsis: The story of an epileptic girl who gets caught of daily life and relationship struggles in between her boyfriend and her childhood friend with of people who suffer from serious whom she used to spend her summers with. headaches. Fight For Life (1987) That Beatiful Somewhere (2006) Director: Elliot Silverstein Director: Robert Budreau Cast: Jerry Lewis, Morgan Freeman and Jaclyn-Rose Cast: Roy Dupuis, Jane McGregor Lester and Gordon Tootoosis Synopsis: The struggle of a father to get a drug that is Synopsis: An archeologist with migraine uncovers the only available in the UK approved in the USA by the FDA in secrets of a murder with the help of a private investigator. 162 Nöroloji Tarihinden History of Neurology 5- Motor Neuron Disease Flanery Hawking (2004) Synopsis: The story of a woman Director: Philip Martin with MS, her enamored student and her professor husband. Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Brandon and Tom Hodgkins Go Now (1995) Synopsis: A movie about Stephen Hawking who has Director: Michael Winterbottom ALS. Cast: Robert Carlyle, Juliet Aubrey Hugo Pool (1997) and James Nesbitt Director: Robert Downey Sr.