The Eternal Memory

The Eternal Memory (Spanish: La memoria infinita) is a 2023 Chilean documentary film directed by Maite Alberdi. The film follows the relationship of Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and Chilean actress Paulina Urrutia. It was selected in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it had its world premiere on 21 January 2023 and won the Grand Jury Prize.[3]

The Eternal Memory
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMaite Alberdi
Screenplay byMaite Alberdi
Produced by
CinematographyPablo Valdés
Edited byCarolina Siraqyan
Music by
  • Miguel Miranda
  • José Miguel Tobar
Production
companies
  • Micromundo
  • Fabula
Distributed byMTV Documentary Films
Release dates
  • 21 January 2023 (2023-01-21) (Sundance)
  • 24 August 2023 (2023-08-24) (Chile)
Running time
84 minutes
Country
  • Chile
LanguageSpanish
Box office$81,253[1][2]

Plot

Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia have been a couple for 23 years. Augusto is one of Chile's most prominent cultural journalists and television presenters. His wife, Paulina, affectionately called "Pauli," is an actress who served as Minister of Culture and the Arts of the country from 2006 to 2010. Eight years ago, Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and since then, Paulina has been caring for him. Throughout his career, Augusto was dedicated to ensuring that the atrocities of the Pinochet dictatorship are not forgotten. Today, it is up to him and his wife to maintain his identity despite the challenges of his illness. Each day, the couple faces the difficulties caused by Alzheimer's disease, but they also maintain the tenderness and sense of humor that binds them together.[4][5]

Cast

Release

Festivals

The film was first screened as a part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, premiering on 21 January 2023.[6] At the festival, it won the Grand Jury Prize of the competition.[3] It also screened in the Panorama section at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival where it had its European premiere.[7] It was also invited to the 27th Lima Film Festival for competing in Documentary section, where it was screened on 11 August 2023.[8]

Theatrical

MTV Documentary Films acquired the distribution rights of the film planning a theatrical release.[9] It had a limited release in US theaters during August 2023 beginning on August 11, 2023, in New York.[10] It was commercially released on August 24, 2023, in Chilean theaters.[11]

Reception

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 87 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]

Guy Lodge from Variety wrote that the film "treats inexorably sad material with a lighter, more lyrical approach than most".[4] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney called the film "a moving chronicle of a marriage challenged by Alzheimer's", finishing his review commenting that the film is "as unexpectedly stirring as it is sorrowful".[14]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival 29 January 2023 World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary Competition The Eternal Memory Won [3]
Berlin International Film Festival 25 February 2023 Panorama Audience Award – Documentary Runner-up [15]
Miami International Film Festival 12 March 2023 Documentary Achievement Award Nominated [16]
Guadalajara International Film Festival 9 June 2023 Iberoamerican Competition – Best Documentary Film Nominated [17]
Lima Film Festival 18 August 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [18]
Athens International Film Festival 9 October 2023 Best Documentary Nominated [19]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards 12 November 2023 Best Documentary Feature Pending [20]
Best Director Maite Alberdi Pending

References
  1. "The Eternal Memory". The Numbers. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. "The Eternal Memory". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  3. Donnelly, Matt; Debruge, Peter (27 January 2023). "Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)". Variety. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  4. Lodge, Guy (13 February 2023). "'The Eternal Memory' Review: Delicate Alzheimer's Doc Balances Personal Reflection and Historical Consciousness". Variety. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  5. The Eternal Memory. In: festival.sundance.org (retrieved 1 February 2023).
  6. Patten, Dominic; D'Alessandro, Anthony (7 December 2022). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors, More". Deadline. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  7. Ramachandran, Naman (18 January 2023). "'The Siren' to Open Berlinale's Panorama Strand, Jafar Panahi, Joan Baez, Fan Bingbing, George MacKay Feature in Selections". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  8. "La memoria infinita" [The Eternal Memory]. 27 PUCP Lima Film Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. Welk, Brian (27 January 2023). "Sundance 2023 Movie Deals So Far: 'Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV'Acquired by Greenwich Entertainment". IndieWire. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. Lang, Brent (28 June 2023). "MTV Documentary Films Releases Trailer for 'The Eternal Memory,' Documentary Oscar Contender (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  11. "Documental "La Memoria Infinita" de Maite Alberdi anunció fecha de estreno en Chile". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  12. "The Eternal Memory". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  13. The Eternal Memory, retrieved 20 July 2023
  14. Rooney, David (21 January 2023). "'The Eternal Memory' Review: A Moving Chronicle of a Marriage Challenged by Alzheimer's". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  15. "The Panorama Audience Awards Go to Sira by Apolline Traoré and Kokomo City by D. Smith". Berlinale. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  16. "40th ANNIVERSARY MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP". MDC News. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  17. "Catalogo Oficial" (PDF). Guadalajara International Film Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  18. "¡Estos son los ganadores del 27 Festival de Cine de Lima PUCP!". festivaldelima.com (in Spanish). 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  19. "International Documentaries Competition". Athens International Film Festival. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  20. Davis, Clayton (16 October 2023). "Critics Choice Documentary Awards: 'American Symphony' Leads Nominations, Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Lands Nod After Record-Setting Weekend". Variety. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
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