Mnemophrenia (2019)

3 Stars (out of 4)

I Remember You

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Directed and co-written by Eirini Konstantinidou, who has an actual PhD in science fiction films, Mnemophrenia is a quiet, contemplative, hyper-intelligent drama that requires strict attention, and will likely benefit from more viewings. The title describes a condition in which people begin to confuse real memories with memories that occurred in artificial reality. The questions that continue to arise, of course, concern whether or not these memories have merit, of if the condition is even a bad thing? Can a woman have been in love if the man didn't actually exist? Does it matter? The movie tells four interconnected stories. One is set in a therapy group for people with the condition, and a woman tells the story of her romance, which is set largely on a boat. Another story is about a woman who is connecting with her ancestors via VR, and a third story is about an engineer who is trying to develop a next level experience called "Total Cinema." Two of the stories are told through the point of view of a person using VR, and others are captured through security cameras, with lots of data printed on the screen. It's a talky film, and it reminded me of movies like Primer, but with patience, it does come together in a most satisfying way.