1 Litre of Tears

'1 Litre of Tears' is a Japanese movie mainly based on a published version of the Diary, "1 Litre no Namida" (Ichi Rittoru no Namida) written by a girl called 'Aya Kito' (Kito Aya, July 19, 1962 - May 23, 1988) about her real and personal life experiences coping with a fatal and incurable disease and this diary was published shortly before her death. One day when Aya returned home injuring his chin due to fall while going to school her mother realizes there is something strange happening to her daughter. She convinced her to go to hospital where on examination doctor told her that her daughter is suffering from 'Spinocerebellar ataxia' or 'Spinocerebellar degeneration' which is a hereditary, progressive and an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorder in which the person gradually looses ability to control his body movements due to the degeneration of the cerebellum and nervous system. At first Aya was not informed with actually what was she is suffering from and was told that it is some small neurological disorder and her doctor advised her to start writing a diary so it would help her sorting her doubts and worries she is facing. But with her deteriorating condition she herself realizes that something has happened to her. But even after knowing the truth she keeps on writing about her chronicles with the disease until she looses the ability to hold pen and write. So the movie revolves around her and the people around her, that how she and they coped, reacted and kept up with her fears, emotions, struggles and desire of her to keep living even after knowing what is her fate and in the process inspiring everyone around her. The disease onsets with her having difficulty in coordination, walking and balancing, which progresses in few years into loosing altogether the ability to focus with eye, speak, swallow and ceasing of other muscle controlled movements leading her to be bedridden and die in span few years (in her case it is about 10 years). As the disease affects only the communication between the muscles and the brain, the mental part of the body remains intact thus imprisoning her in her own body. Asae Oonishi is the lead actress and Kazuko Kato plays as her mother. This daughter and mother duo also played a cameo in the Drama series with the same name which was more fictional based on the life of Aya Kito. —Bashar