A new documentary, The Memory Boom, uses decayed 16mm film to creatively represent “what dementia might feel like inside the mind.”
Created by Antosh Wojcik and Xenia Glenn from Dorset, the film delves into the profound impacts of this neurological condition.
“Both Xenia and I have experienced dementia through our elders,” Wojcik shared, expressing the hope that the film helps audiences connect with the sense of “disorientation” they witnessed in their loved ones.
“We might gain a bit of understanding of such a difficult experience that many people are likely to face in their lives,” he added.
The filmmakers, from Sleepwalker Studios in Wimborne, were commissioned to craft the piece by the Phoenix Cinema in Exeter.
The project began when the cinema discovered a trove of decayed 16mm film reels in its basement, dating back to the 1930s through the 1960s.
As Glenn explained, the reels featured real-life footage of unidentified people on holidays and world travels.
“When I watched the archive footage, I wondered what these images might evoke in others and how they could connect to memory and emotion,” she said.
The filmmakers turned to the local community for inspiration.
Showing the footage to people in Dorset and Devon, they noticed a recurring response: viewers were reminded of grandparents who had lived with dementia.
This sparked the film’s concept.
Over six weeks, the team worked to piece together the production, blending damaged footage with voice-overs and creative effects.
“It was difficult but fun working with deteriorated film, trying to create something meaningful from it,” Glenn remarked.
The Memory Boom aims to offer a poignant glimpse into how dementia impacts the human brain.
The film will premiere on November 22 at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival before screening at the Phoenix Cinema in Exeter and other venues in Devon and Dorset.
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