Director: Vladlena Sandu | Autobiographical drama, hybrid documentary
Memory is an autobiographical drama directed by Vladlena Sandu creating a visual memory of her childhood in Chechnya during the war. The film is a lyrical and hybrid documentary that explores generational trauma and the cycle of violence in the war-torn province.
The film follows Sandu’s childhood after her parents’ divorce, when she moved from Crimea to Grozny and experienced the war in Chechnya. It uses her personal experiences of growing up with her grandma and poetically explores how violence impacts on children giving rise to cycles of trauma that can be passed down through generations as it become embedded in the collective psyche.
Sandu makes use of a patchwork of recurring motifs, memories and montage to express her own personal recollections of war and these generate a collage of relatable experiences for children all over the world whose lives have been impacted by conflict. The film also explores healing, and the possibility of change for those affected. A delicately impressionistic memoir of trauma. @MeredithTaylor
NOW SCREENING AT VIENNALE FILM FESTIVAL 16-28 October 2025