Every now and again, we take a trip down memory lane, as the saying goes. But, more often than not, nostalgia can be more of an arduous journey than a simple jog. Daniel Pérez Silva’s GOING BACK TO YOUR MEMORY IS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE (2023) is not only a very personal piece, but it reflects on our often strenuous relationship with the past and how we see it. It is a reflective piece, as Pérez, piece by piece, tries to rekindle with memories of his childhood. A passion project, Pérez uses home videos taken mainly by his mother, putting them side by side with more newly taken footage that reflects on the current realities of his life, for him and different members of his family.
Pérez provides a silent narration through subtitles, and when combined with scenes of memories and current realities side by side, often we find ourselves confused on what to focus on, which paints a vivid picture of what Pérez is trying to tackle. Like many of us do, when trying to understand life, we find ourselves perplexed: pondering the present or fixating on the past, a process which is purposefully presented by the film. He also grapples with his grandfather’s loss of memory, which is particularly touching when shown side by side with scenes of a very different man when Pérez was still a child. Once a natural speaker, as Pérez describes and as is seen by the home videos, this crushing change which often comes with age is emotionally emphasized as we see his grandfather’s more subdued figure in the present flailing to remember his own grandchild’s name.
More than retrospect, Pérez uses the past to tackle the present, which is often a case of both loss and love. Pérez does not only wallow or wonder in what’s changed. Mirroring how people often come to terms with change, Pérez often finds himself celebrating things which are luckily still constant, such as the warmth of the love of his grandmother, still going strong, now at 93.
Understanding that nostalgia is often a misguided celebration of memories, Pérez addresses it in such a quaint manner that understands the quintessence of life, that it is ever evolving. As Pérez’s grandmother says, perhaps we are all orphans of memory. (Aradi Ghalizha) (Ed. Vanis)
Film Details
GOING BACK TO YOUR MEMORY IS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE
(VIAXAR AOS TEUS RECORDOS É BUSCAR PELEXA)
Daniel Pérez Silva | 19 Min | 2023 | Spain
Official Selection for Spektrum
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 3 | 19:00 WIB | Ruang Seminar, TBY
Nov. 9 | 13:00 WIB | Militaire Societeit, TBY
