MEMORY
DIRECTED BY VLADLENA SANDU
DRAMA | 2025 | 98' | FRANCE, NETHERLANDS
SYNOPSIS
After her parents’ divorce, six-year-old Vladlena moves from Crimea to Grozny, not yet aware of the changes that lie ahead. When war breaks out in Chechnya, it deeply affects her city and family. Years later, filmmaker Sandu reflects on her childhood in this poetic, autobiographical hybrid film, exploring how cycles of violence shape children—and how healing and change are possible.
SCRIPT: Vladlena Sandu
MAIN CAST: Amina Taisumova, Selima Agamirzaeva, Vladlena Sandu
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Liza Popova
ART DIRECTOR: Daria Litvinova
EDITING: Vladlena Sandu
SOUND: Philippe Grivel
PRODUCER: Yanna Buryak
CO-PRODUCERS: Ludovic Henry, Raymond Van Der Kaaij, Kirsi Saivosalmi
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Mimesis, Limitless, Revolver Amsterdam
"As a deeply cinematic recollection of that turbulent era, told in densely allusive imagery, in grave Tarkovsky compositions and saturated Parajanov colors, Memory is already powerful. But as an evocation of all we lose to conflict — not just our personal histories, but any hope for a peaceful shared future too — it is extraordinary."
"Memory is an immense achievement. Hypnotic, challenging and never anything less than unforgettable, Memory is a staggering achievement, and one of the most ambitious, daring projects of the past decade."
"A debut feature of exceptional cinematic creativity. Vladlena Sandu's first feature film proves to be an extraordinarily inventive, sensitive, intelligent and poignant autobiographical story."
"This hypnotic prose poem, taken from real-life experiences, is a warning about the helter-skelter of death that happens wherever and whenever war breaks out."
FESTIVALS
Giornate degli Autori 2025 - People's Choice Award
Athens International Film Festival - Best Screenplay Award
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Le Vie Del Cinema
Sao Paulo International Film Festival
Bergen International Film Festival - Best Documentary Award
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Viennale
SEMINCI Valladolid - Time of History Special Award
Venezia a Napoli
IDFA
POFF - Tallin Black Nights Film Festival
Efebo D'Oro International Film Festival
Marrakech International Film Festival - Jury Prize
Goteborg Film Festival
Festival International du Premier Film d'Annonay
Antenna Documentary Film Festival
ArtDocFest Riga - Grand prix
HUMAN International Documentary Film Festival Oslo - Honourable mention
Kosmorama Trondheim Film festival
Luxembourg Film Fest - Best documentary
AMBULANTE
Hong Kong International Film Festival
New Directors/New Films
DocUnight Copenhagen
Istanbul Film Festival
Visions du Réel - Unifrance Doc Award
Zagreb Dox
Gabes Cinema Fan
Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival - Jury Special Mention
Taipei Film Festival
SXSW London - Best Film Award
Barbican Centre / New East Cinema
Innsbruck International Film Festival - Best Documentary
Transilvania International Documentary Film Festival - Whats Up Doc Award
Sevil International Women’s Documentary Film Festival
Karlovy Vary
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