The Eternal Memory

Winner!  Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2023

This heart-wrenching yet humor-filled documentary from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent) follows a Chilean couple facing a challenging future together. Augusto, a former journalist and TV presenter, and Paulina, an actress and politician, are a devoted long-married couple. Eight years ago, Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and Paulina is now his full-time caregiver. As Augusto struggles to hold onto his identity, Paulina tenderly leads him through each day with laughter and grace. The couple face this challenge head-on, adapting to the disruptions brought on by the taxing disease while relying on the tender affection and sense of humor shared between them that remains intact. A masterful love story for the ages, Alberdi’s beautiful film is ultimately a stirring exploration of memory itself, both individual and collective, echoing Augusto’s role as a journalist in recording the truth of Pinochet’s dictatorship. (Dir. by Maite Alberdi, 2023, Chile, in Spanish with English subtitles, 85 mins., Not Rated)

Other festivals: Sundance, Berlin, Doc NYC