Peter Mostert and Zack Grant Reveal Stark Realities of Parkinson’s for Motionpoem ‘Morning Walk’

Director Zack Grant and Hooligan dditor Peter Mostert recently collaborated on a short film about Parkinson’s disease titled Morning Walk. The film was commissioned as part of the acclaimed Motionpoems series, and is based on Joyce Sutphen’s poem of the same title. Morning Walk will also air this Fall on 'Art + Medicine,' a Twin Cities PBS series that explores healthcare through story, song and the arts. 

Juxtaposing a euphoric morning walk with the stark realities of Parkinson’s disease, the 35mm film is an intimate look into the eloquent world of Zack’s mother, Debra Magid, an artist and Parkinson’s survivor. 

“I had a shortlist of candidates to direct this film, and Zack was the only name on it,” remarks Roxanne Artesona, the film’s executive producer and owner at agency Roxanneandco. “Between the emotional depth he brings as a visual storyteller, and the deeply personal connection he has to the subject matter of this film, I knew Zack would bring something special; and the stars aligned perfectly once we got Peter on board. He is an editor who makes linear storytelling look almost effortless. His choices beautifully accentuated the powerful words and visuals brought together through this film.”

“My goal with the film, and what moved me the most about the poem, was to show that Parkinson’s is not a singular diagnosis,” adds Zack. “As the poem so perfectly states, people with PD want to be remembered ‘from the inside out’; seen but not pitied; considered but not treated as ‘less than.’ Morning Walk honours that request, equally celebrating reality and the things we do to cope with reality.”

Morning Walk marks Peter’s first collaboration with Zack and Motionpoems, which has paired poets and filmmakers on more than 150 short films since its inception in 2008. 

“Zack is a shrewd filmmaker whose strong vision and personal connection to this film made it all the more powerful,” concludes Peter. “He was simply a delight to collaborate with and came so prepared, which is all but a requirement when you’re shooting in 35mm. Almost everything he shot made it into the cut. There was so much life and energy in the footage he captured using the analogy of the flower, which all came together so seamlessly in the edit.” 

Morning Walk was funded and produced in partnership with Jon Halberg, co-host of 'Art+Medicine' and director of The University of Minnesota Medical School's Centre for the Art of Medicine (CFAM), an initiative is dedicated to cultivating creativity and elevating the role of the arts and humanities in medical education and practice.