DORCHESTER Arts hosts a special double bill of films at the Corn Exchange, on Tuesday 6th October at 6pm, at the Corn Exchange,. The event focuses on the neurological condition, Parkinson’s disease, and will be raising funds for a local Parkinson’s project.

The World’s Toughest Drive follows former Army colonel Guy Deacon CBE on an extraordinary solo journey across 25 countries from the UK to South Africa. Armed with determination, 3,650 pills and a VW van, his remarkable adventure is a powerful testament to courage and refusing to let Parkinson’s define him.

Kinetics, adapted from Sue Wylie’s acclaimed stage play and inspired by her own experience of early-onset Parkinson’s, tells the moving story of Rose and Lukas, whose unlikely friendship transforms both their lives. Honest, funny and deeply affecting, it celebrates the strength found in human connection.

Sue Wylie, formerly a drama teacher in Dorchester, directed Kinetics, based on her personal journey and true story of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 50, exploring the daily impact and acceptance of living with the condition. It traces her unlikely friendship with a rebellious and lonely teenage parkour runner. The play had its premiere in Dorchester in 2018.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical dopamine in their brain because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working. Around 166,000 people live with Parkinson’s in the UK. Parkinson’s is on the rise. In the UK today, someone is diagnosed every 20 minutes. By 2050, but is estimated that the number of people with Parkinson’s worldwide will double to 25 million.

There are several very well-known people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. They include the late and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and MASH star Alan Alda. Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt and Carly Simons have all talked of their diagnosis, and famous British figures with the disease include Sir Billy Connolly, actors Sir Ian Holm and Pauline Collins, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and broadcasters Jeremy Paxman and Rory Cellan-Jones.

All proceeds from the Dorchester evening will support Dorchester Arts’ Parkinson’s Dance classes in Dorchester and Sherborne.