Dempsey Rice * Forget Me Nots

Synopsis

FORGET ME NOTS starts with a montage of evocative images and Donald Davis’ voice: “Who are we? We are the pile of stories we can tell about the people we have known, the things we did together, the places we lived…” Davis’ voice draws the viewer in and begins to engage them in their own remembrance. The film’s narrative does not focus on one individual but relies on the collective experience and memories of several people.

Donald Davis is a professional storyteller from North Carolina whose craft and career are built on the art of remembering. Davis acts as a guide to the importance remembering and sharing our memories. Laura Simms is a Jewish storyteller searching for her own family story in Romania. We join her as she remembers her first trip to Romania and the unexpected connection she finds with a stranger. Linda Jensen suffered brain damage and is now grappling with the daily complications of short-term memory loss -- she can remember her past, but memories of things that happened yesterday often elude her. We spend time with her at home where she considers the role of memory in life. Neurologist and author Dr. Oliver Sacks transports us back to WW II in London during the Blitz and examines the validity of his own remembrances of that time – some are authentic and others are imagined. The filmmaker examines remembrance brought on by the smell of a lipstick and memories that come from stories her grandmother told her. In addition, FORGET ME NOTS incorporates the insight of psychologists and memory researchers Dr. Daniel Schacter and Dr. Larry Squire.

Visually, FORGET ME NOTS weaves together impressionistic images shot on Super 8 film and slow motion video with cinema verité, archival footage and interviews. This combination of styles helps us to directly experience both the ephemeral and the concrete aspects of remembering. In addition, visual mnemonics (a woman applying lipstick, ocean waves cycling, carnival rides, images of a lake) come and go as interstitial moments that work to evoke remembrance in the minds of the viewer in hopes of prompting internal connection and reflection. Connection is also made on screen: Laura Simms doesn’t find her family story in Romania, but finds joy in remembering a family who accepts her as one of their own. Linda Jensen is present despite her memory loss: she bakes cookies, loves her family and reflects on her life before and after memory loss. Donald Davis, Oliver Sacks and the filmmaker explore the strong connection they have to their past and to other individuals through memory. They illustrate the power of a conscious connection to one’s life stories and memories. FORGET ME NOTS encourages remembering, self-reflection, sharing, “time traveling” (visiting the past in our memories), and leaving a legacy that includes the life stories and memories that define who we are.