The Down and Dementia toolkit brings together a rich body of documentary footage from the life of Anne, a woman with Down syndrome. Filmed from early childhood — first by her father and later by her brother, filmmaker Leendert Pot —this intimate record of Anne’s life became the starting point for the Down and Dementia toolkit.
Leendert has made two documentaries about Anne:
Anne is one of us (1989) about her unusual upbringing and life as a young woman. Anne
Anne & Jean Paul, Our World (2017) about her life as a woman in her mid-fifties with optimal independence and autonomy.
Leendert is currently developing a third documentary, with the working title Keep Dancing, Anne. The film focuses on the profound impact of Alzheimer’s disease on both Anne’s life and Leendert’s own.
Contact us if you want to stay informed about the development of this documentary or if you'd like to use the toolkit.
Leendert Pot (born 1959) is an independent Dutch filmmaker. His films have won awards at festivals worldwide.
He makes films about subjects close to his heart, with a recurring focus on people with disabilities. Notable examples include Eloquent Eyes (1999), a film about individuals with multiple disabilities that has been widely used as an exemplar of attitudes toward people with multiple disabilities. His work Motioning – Five Film Poems in Sign Language (2004–2005) continues to be screened worldwide.
Leendert Pot, Linda Vis, Laurine ter Keurst, and Ingrid Koops initiated the Down and Dementia project in 2024.
The team shares a commitment to the importance of recognizable and authentic visual representations of the dementia process in people with intellectual disabilities. To this end, they develop cases—each consisting of a short film accompanied by educational materials. Through this approach, the project aims to expand knowledge and facilitate knowledge-sharing about Down syndrome and dementia, while also promoting appropriate support and high-quality care.
Filmmaker Leendert Pot initiated the project. Upon learning that his sister Anne had developed Alzheimer’s disease, he began filming her life once again, laying the foundation for the project.
Linda Vis serves as project leader and is also a specialist in dialogue and moral reflection. She previously developed impact tours in collaboration with the broadcasting company Human, following a documentary series featuring Adelheid Roosen and Hugo Borst on the care of people with dementia.
Laurine ter Keurst has been closely involved with Anne for many years. She is a psychologist with extensive experience in education, including the development of teaching materials. Laurine works closely and frequently with Ingrid Koops, an educational specialist who supports various healthcare programs and has significant experience working with family members and loved ones affected by dementia.
An advisory group supports the Down and Dementia project. The members are:
Alain Dekker (Head of the Department of Applied Research (PWO) | Alliade; lecturer at the University of Groningen).
Hilair Balsters (Coordinator of the Dutch Knowledge Center for Disability Care and senior advisor at Vilans).
Regina Lamberts (Director of the Down Syndrome Foundation).
We are deeply grateful to the members of the advisory group and to the funding organizations for making this project possible. We also extend our sincere thanks to the many professionals and family members of people with Down syndrome who provided valuable feedback on the materials. Their insights enabled us to further refine and strengthen the project.
The Down and Dementia project was made possible by contributions from the following funds:
