The Bulgarian Society of Dementia (BSD) organized the screening of the 30-minute long Bulgarian documentary titled "SYNDROME" (2010) directed by Ljudmil Kolev, as part of the Bulgarian dementia awareness campaign "Let's Live Together". 

The film depicts the life of four families where a parent has dementia, along with commentary and insights from members of the BSD team as experts on neurocognitive disorders. 

The narrative of the documentary unfolds several personal stories - following dementia patients’ specific fates and the development of the disease, showing the roles of loved ones and capturing the shared overcoming of fear and anxiety resulted by the harsh consequences of Alzheimer's disease. The film raises questions about early diagnosis, the adaptation of patients and their families, and the strength to carry on—with love and dignity. 

Admission was free to the documentary which was screened at two consecutive days:  

20th October 2025, at Vlaykova Cinema (the oldest independent cinema of Sofia) where a total of 120 people, and 21st October 2025, 6:00 p.m. at the Czech Cultural Center of Sofia, where 65 participants attended. The events provided a comprehensive structure for maximum engagement with the general public, people with dementia, caregivers, specialists, medical students and relevant stakeholders. 

Prof. Latchezar Traykov, president of the Bulgarian Society of Dementia opened both screenings. His introductory speech was followed by a presentation of Prof. Shima Mehrabian, who focused on summarizing neurocognitive disorders, spoke about the importance of timely diagnosis, prevention and care, and justified her presentation by the latest data and trends. Prof. Mehrabian highlighted JADE Health project as a pillar in current prevention and de-stigmatisation efforts of the EU in the field of brain health. 

After the movie, Prof. Latchezar Traykov held a 40-minute long Q&A session with the audience. The goal was to not only to address questions, but also explain the current state of dementia-related affairs both in Bulgaria, and globally. 

As part of JADE Health’s mission is to raise public awareness and increase sensitivity to the problems of people living with dementia, as well as to reduce stigma surrounding dementia and neurocognitive disorders, the screening provided a great opportunity to showcase various activities carried out by JADE Health’s work packages (WP2, WP6 and WP10).

Much to our delight, the audience consisted of diverse groups – general public, neurologists, people with lived experience and their caregivers, healthcare professionals from other fields, as well as students.  

We are grateful for the organisers: Bulgarian Society of Dementia, in partnership with the Bulgarian Patient Organization "Living With Dementia", the Expert Center for neurodegenerative disorders with Cognitive impairment and movement disorders, Clinic of Neurology at the Aleksandrovska Hospital; the Edita Production House, and for the support of Stefan Kitanov and his team from Sofia Film Fest International Film Festival, the Vlaykova Cinema, and the Czech Cultural Center in Sofia. Last but not least, we thank the staff members of the President of Bulgaria, who were also present during the Czech Cultural Center screening.