This September 6th, the award winning ‘Don’t Forget To Remember’ opens in Irish cinemas.
Documenting noted Irish street artist Asbestos as he and his family navigate his mothers diagnosis of Alzheimers, the film is both a moving portrait of an individual’s struggle in the face of fading memory, and an intimate celebration of family coming together to make the best of such a circumstance.
The sophomore work from directed by documentarian Ross Killeen, produced by Louise Byrne, follows on from the success of his debut, ‘Love Yourself Today’, a chronicle on Dublin singer songwriter Damien Dempsey.
Speaking about the launch of the film, director Ross Kileen said,“I’m delighted that our film now has the chance to be seen by a wider audience across Ireland. Making this documentary was a labour of love. My own mother had dementia and sadly passed away in 2019. I saw how it affected her but also our family and those around her who loved her. I didn’t talk about it at the time and kept those feelings inside. Both myself and Asbestos are eager to encourage wider conversations about family bonds, memory, and how some connections can never be diminished.”
The artist the film follows, Asbestos, had this to say about one particularly poignant scene:
“Making chalk drawings of my Mum’s memories, putting them on the street and asking the public to destroy them seems terrifying and extreme. Yet the act of making the drawings, and talking about each of these memories, has cemented them firmer in my mind, more than I could imagine. As much as the drawings can be destroyed, the memories live on.”
The poignant, beautiful documentary will be screened at the IFI Dublin, Light House Cinema Dublin, Pálás Galway, from September 6th, coinciding with Alzheimer’s Awareness month.
Words: Adhamh Ó Caoimh
Wanna read more?… When Damien Dempsey met David Balfe (For Those I Love) in Marsh’s Library.
