Storing fading memories while also soothing their fractured minds is a harrowing fight for all those affected by a life-altering illness. The new drama, ‘Here’s Yanni!,’ chronicles the struggles that dementia patients and their families contend with while striving to maintain recollections that are disappearing from a splintering mind.

Filmmaker Christina Eliopoulos wrote and directed the feature. She was inspired to make the movie after her mother cared for her father following his diagnosis with dementia.

‘Here’s Yanni!’ chronicles the lives of Yianni and Plousia (Joe Cortese and Julia Ormond), the owners of a charming family diner by the beach, where he has always acted as a convivial host. Lately, however, Plousia has noticed that her husband of 40 years is not quite himself and is often wistfully distracted.

One day, Yianni slips into a parallel realm, where he imagines himself as the host of a late-night talk show. Plousia learns that Yianni is facing dementia but hides his illness from coworkers and best friends, Jimmy and Amelia (Kevin Pollak and Rosanna Arquette).

As his condition worsens, Plousia becomes Yianni’s full-time caregiver and lifeline. But then, long-suppressed grief and a heartbreaking delusion comes over Yianni. With Plousia’s determination and her whimsical inventiveness, they discover how to smile through the sadness, and celebrate every moment they have together.

‘Here’s Yianni!’ had its New York Premiere this past Sunday, December 8 at 7:30pm during Dances With Films: NYC, where it served as the Closing Night Film. The drama’s screening at the New York-based festival came after it had its World Premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival last month.

Several of the movie’s actors and crewmembers, including Ormond, Arquette and Eliopoulos, walked the orange carpet before its Dances With Films screening. Ormond was one of the cast members who generously took the time to participate in an exclusive interview on the carpet before going into the theater to watch the premiere.

The conversation began with Ormond sharing that she became involved in starring in the movie after she “was sent the script. I then met with Christina because I liked the story and the warmth in it. I also liked how it tackles dementia, a subject matter that can be quite depressing,” she noted.

“I was just very charmed by her. I was charmed by the fact that she had written this piece that’s based on her family story. I really liked it and related to it,” the performance revealed.

“I thought it had a lot of warmth. I think sometimes when you bring those colors to something that’s normally quite tragic, it does something different, in terms of people’s experience,” Ormond added.

The actress then delved how she was able to connect with, and understand, Eliopoulos’ family in preparation for her portrayal of Plousia. “I play Christina’s mom, effectively. I don’t think I’m particularly like her mom, but the character is inspired by her life story,” she admitted.

“But Christina was right there on hand all the way through to take us by the hand and explain to us what it was like for their family. She brought stuff to set that was her mother’s, which was really quite incredible,” Ormond continued.

“If we had any anxiety about how things would be, Christina would really help us ease those worries, and bring an authenticity to the character. I hope that authenticity registers” in the portrayal, the performer added.

While getting into character was difficult at certain moments during the production, Ormond divulged, she added that “we got through it. Filmmaking is getting tougher and tougher. There’s something about filmmaking that you can’t completely nail down and completely define, and you can only really see it at the end of the day with what you end up with. It’s a bit of a kick-bollocks-scramble, like we love to say in the UK! But it’s not always a bad thing.”

With ‘Here’s Yanny!’ having its New York premiere at Dances With Films: NYC, the actress was happy to see the feature on the big screen at the festival. What made the experience even more exciting for her was that the premiere marked the first time she attended the festival. “It’s great to be here. It’s an honor that our film is the closing film here on closing night. So I’m psyched to see it,” she stated.

“We also have some other cast and crew here, so it’s nice to be here together. It’s the first time we’re able to see our work together. So it’s a cool experience,” Ormond concluded.