In Memory of Us (En souvenir de nous)

When Michel Léviant made THE FAIRY WALL in 1994, a light but beautifully shot TV film deemed too artistic for television, he could hardly have imagined its future incarnation. Years later, having captured producer Henri Magalon’s imagination, the film took on a new dimension. Revisiting the same actors and locations, IN MEMORY OF US depicts the original group meeting again at their friend’s funeral, returning to her childhood home where they spent an intense summer a decade before. Using the earlier footage as flashbacks with all the dreamlike luminosity of memories, the film moves between past and present in a fascinating exploration of friendship, guilt and the passing of time. The poignancy of the group’s struggle to deal with their friend’s suicide is rendered acute by the fact that actress Hélène Lapiower died of cancer before the film’s new life. The film’s reality haunts its fictional tale, making its evocation of memory all the more compelling.

* We are delighted to welcome director Michel Léviant for a Q&A following both screenings of the film.