The Bridge At Midnight Trembles

Directors: Esben Storm & Peter Leiss
Country: Australia
Runtime: 52 Mins
Language: English

What has Richard Moir got in common with Terry Thomas, Michael J Fox, Katherine Hepburn, Jim Backus, US Attorney General - Janet Reno, Pope John Paul II, Salvador Dali, Muhammad Ali, Pierre Trudeau, Mao Tse Tung, Johnny Cash, Billy Graham, President Harry Truman, General Macarthur and Adolf Hitler? They all had or have Parkinson's Disease.

In 1990 Richard Moir was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Richard is an actor but as the freezes and shakes became more evident his career faded. Then his marriage crumbled. The physical despair of this incurable illness is obvious but the weight of constant depression is no less debilitating.

So, having tried many treatments, Richard decided in late 2003 to have the procedure known as Deep Brain Stimulation. Essentially two electrodes are embedded deep in the brain to stimulate the subthalamic nucleus with a mild electrical current. The operation lasts about five hours and the patient has to be totally awake throughout the whole procedure. The bravery of the patient, the skill of the surgeons and the technology are quite awe inspiring.

In the film we accompany Richard through the tense months leading up to the operation. Through stills and clips from his movies, we see someone ageing and then we see the first signs of Parkinson's. We go to the hospital with him as he takes on the greatest challenge of his life. We watch him recover, see the scars heal and the hair grow back.