First Cousin Once Removed

First Cousin Once Removed is Alan Berliner’s deeply personal chronicle of his mother’s first cousin Edwin Honig, a well-known literary figure whose descent into Alzheimer’s disease took away his ability to navigate the simple boundaries between past, present and future. Shot over the course of five years, the 79-minute documentary is an unflinching essay on the fragility of being human, and a stark reminder of the profound role that memory plays in all of our lives. While the film approaches Edwin’s condition with compassion and humor, it also portrays Edwin’s life with the same raw honesty that resonates in his poetry, which was written amidst a lifetime steeped in tragedy, love, loss and literary daring. In addition to numerous recorded visits and interviews with Edwin and his friends, former students, ex-wife and children, Honig’s slow mental deterioration is documented through archival period footage, family photos, home movies, readings, and visual representations of his work. The result is a vivid portrait of a wordsmith who, although he’s lost his memory and command of language, still retains an enduring sense of play, a charming sense of humor, a sublime musicality, and the essential bearings of a deeply poetic soul.Show more