Where Do Lilacs Come From

There is a certain visual beauty to this quite personal film. In it we see an old man struggling with Alzheimer's; his son tries to help him but it is a losing battle. The man himself has flashes of memory, disjointed, lacking context and clarity, the flashes almost being more frustrating for his inability to retain them and piece them into his own life. The filming of this has great light, lovely steadicam work, good combinations of film style, and a nicely gentle pace throughout. It very professionally moves you to think and feel. This is a good thing.

I'm not sure though, that it all comes from the film. You see, with limited narrative what we get is a more general sweep to the presentation; as a result we generally feel the horror of losing memory of life, and essentially slipping out of who you were. This is done with a light, slightly manipulative score which helps the film but also detracts a little. I wasn't sure how much of what I felt did come from the film and how much I brought to it myself; I guess at least some of it comes from the viewer, which is not to say the film does nothing, but just that it isn't as sharp as it could have been. This is seen in the broad devices used – so the man chasing his childhood self around a house does work in combination with the music and the steadicam, but ultimately it is a rather obvious device.

It does still move and it is made with a very professional but yet light touch. The cast are solid – although the old man in the lead is really good. I do still think that the film perhaps could have been a lot less broad and avoided a few of the slightly manipulative or mawkish aspects of it, but these do work as part of the film so maybe they are an acceptable evil?

I saw it as a profound personal film. Not only for the subject - my granmother struggled with Alzheimer syndrome. But for its music and for its beautiful translation in images. It is a tool more a film. Because it suggest more than it presents. Memories, fragments of stories, the fragility of memory, the fight. And it does that in brilliant manner. So, yes, it could be defined a manipulative film. But not for its art but for its science to give yourself to you in subtle - precise manner. That defines it as a special short film.