Light Memories
Showtimes
In the award-winning film, Misha Vallejo Prut sets out to discover who his unknown, now deceased grandfather really was, with the help of photographs. However, no one — not even his grandmother, Luz — recognises the people in the images, and the family is reluctant to talk about the man who withdrew from their lives. ‘The past is the past, and there is no going back,’ Luz says.
This painfully personal film shows how the effects of inequality and discrimination, as well as unhealthy family dynamics, are passed down from one generation to the next. The story of one family expands into a reflection on how silence is broken. Is it right to reopen old wounds?
Like his grandfather, Misha has become a photographer, and in this visually striking film their photographs are placed in dialogue with one another. The past is reflected in the present; familiar faces appear alongside strangers. Misha does his best to fill the gaps in the family album, and his intimate portraits feel like a quiet declaration of love for the family his grandfather left behind.
The warmth between family members carries the film through its heavy themes, and its message is ultimately hopeful. The past truly is past. In the present moment, however, we can try to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
Maija Karakoski
Producer Mayfe Ortega Haboud will attend the film screening on 6 Feb.
