“A Nightmare in Tuscany”: My Most Personal Film to Date

Two summers ago, my mom had a near-fatal accident in Florence, Italy. 48 hours after a harrowing phone call from the hospital, I whisked her away to an olive farm in Tuscany (an agriturismo) to recover. Due to a brain bleed and a fractured occipital bone (the bone beneath the eye socket), she was not allowed to leave the country for two weeks, and even then she had to get permission from the doctors who had treated her at two different hospitals.

On the plane to Italy, it dawned on me that I should film our time there in case we needed evidence for the travel insurance company. The only tool I had was my cell phone, so that’s what I used. I spent most of my time shopping for groceries, cooking, cleaning, and taking Mom to hospital visits. How strange to be in one of the most beautiful places in the world and barely see the outside of our little apartment! After a few days of documenting our stay I realized that I was making the most personal documentary I have created to date, and that despite the serious content, it included a lot of funny moments. I cannot stress enough how essential humor is in healing. I’m so excited to share our story with you and hope that the obstacles we overcame with the health care systems in Italy and the U.S. as well as the shady travel insurance company, will spare other seniors from experiencing the hardships that we faced.

At 40 minutes, A Nightmare in Tuscany is my first “long, short,” and my third documentary film. I plan to self-distribute it via community-based screenings, film festivals, and online events. I will also pursue a virtual university tour and speaking/screening gigs at senior-focused conferences.