Conscious
Conscious is a beautiful and haunting exploration of what happens when consciousness and memory begin to disintegrate. The film narrates the stories of Wendy Mitchell, Pegeen O'Sullivan, and Maureen Winfield who navigate dementia in transformative ways. Mirroring their journeys is the work of neuroscientist Anil Seth, who has dedicated his career to studying consciousness, and finds his professional and personal life intersect as the science becomes personal. Maureen's narrative embodies a struggle; her challenge is about how to reconcile with the man Michael became due to dementia. Pegeen's story represents hope: although she has lost her memories, she has also lost her childhood traumas and fears - and is for the first time comfortable with herself. Wendy's journey symbolises resilience, as she articulates her experience with dementia and develops inventive coping mechanisms, such as photographing her hallucinations to discern their reality. Anil is our guide, steering us through his scientific journey to unravel the mysteries consciousness and the self, and help us to connect us with people whose reality is at odds with ours. With striking visuals and a textured soundscape, Conscious invites audiences inside these altered landscapes of awareness to ask: what remains of us when our internal landscape fragments?
- Runtime
- 1h 21m
- Released
- 2026
Details
Release year: 2026
Storyline
Conscious is a beautiful and haunting exploration of what happens when consciousness and memory begin to disintegrate. The film narrates the stories of Wendy Mitchell, Pegeen O'Sullivan, and Maureen Winfield who navigate dementia in transformative ways. Mirroring their journeys is the work of neuroscientist Anil Seth, who has dedicated his career to studying consciousness, and finds his professional and personal life intersect as the science becomes personal. Maureen's narrative embodies a struggle; her challenge is about how to reconcile with the man Michael became due to dementia. Pegeen's story represents hope: although she has lost her memories, she has also lost her childhood traumas and fears - and is for the first time comfortable with herself. Wendy's journey symbolises resilience, as she articulates her experience with dementia and develops inventive coping mechanisms, such as photographing her hallucinations to discern their reality. Anil is our guide, steering us through his scientific journey to unravel the mysteries consciousness and the self, and help us to connect us with people whose reality is at odds with ours. With striking visuals and a textured soundscape, Conscious invites audiences inside these altered landscapes of awareness to ask: what remains of us when our internal landscape fragments?
Top credits
- David Clayton — Policeman
- Nicola J Coonan — Policewoman
- Sam Dale — Michael Winfield
- Lizzy Dyer — Ward Nurse