A Game of Chess Puts Alzheimer's Treatment in Perspective

Screenings can help keep the decline in check

Alzheimer’s doesn’t just erode memories. It can steal precious moments from the here and now as folks’ identities fade into an uncertain future.

Friends and family members of those fighting the battle become diminished, too. Interactions slow or cease, lifelong bonds drift away in a haze of sadness and confusion.

This scenario plays out in “Check, Mate,” a short film about two elderly chess buddies who face an unexpected separation.

The effort supports Voices of Alzheimer’s and the VoA Foundation, urging those over 65 to seek out cognitive screenings. McKinney and animation studio Nathan Love crafted the campaign, with Carlos Lascano directing.

Those melancholy change-of-seasons visuals and games in the park prove potent. They build a sense of quiet dread until the hopeful reveal. Chess is such a cerebral game, deepening the metaphor.

“We were inspired by the handwritten notes and Post-Its that so often carry the memories of those living with Alzheimer’s, and by the cognitive strength nurtured through games like chess,” agency creative director Julianna Strong tells Muse.

With that mission in mind, the team strove “to craft a deeply tactile, emotional animation,” adds Lev Sloujitel, also a CD.

The characters and sets were hand-made via paper-mâché and the scenes painstakingly brought to life through collage techniques, “ensuring that human touch and natural craft remains at the heart of the story,” Sloujitel says.

The work drops for World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept. 21 across VoA’s website and social platforms.