Cast:
Alfred: Mark Ellis
Aurora: Stephanie Morgenstern
Nightclub Singer: Julain Molnar
Waiter: Adam Bramble
Bouncer: Denis McGrath
Remembrance
19 min 45 sec. Shot on 35mm Cinemascope. Produced with an Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) 'Calling Card' Grant at the Monument National Theatre in Montreal.
WWII espionage drama. A fragile man with perfect memory is approached one night by a stranger with a life-changing offer.
Director: Stephanie Morgenstern
Producer: Paula Fleck
Screenplay: Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern
Director of Photography: Mark Morgenstern
Editor: Vesna Svilanovic
Production Design: James Cameron
Full Cast & Crew at IMDB
Reviews
“Beautifully done, with quiet beauty and dignity — combining clinical verisimilitude with a very human predicament.” – Oliver Sacks, author Awakenings
"You should definitely make time to see Remembrance... It's a dazzling little drama, gorgeously made and calling out for feature-length treatment... Remembrance is a beaut." — John Doyle's Short List, The Globe and Mail
"...a taut, intelligent and sensual film... Gorgeously shot and edited, Remembrance feels like a dreamy memory itself." — Montreal Mirror
"Morgenstern’s stunning Remembrance reminded me of classic films from the glory days of Hollywood." — ReelTalk Reviews
"An original and compelling story... seduces by its masterful direction, its attention to detail and its two talented actors." — La Presse
"Remembrance locates itself nicely alongside Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' and Jorge Luis Borges's short story 'Funes the Memorious' in its exploration of the mysteries of memory... A visually sumptuous, stylishly rendered period piece... A thoughtful and (dare I say it?) memorable drama about those nebulous regions to be found between desire and action, memory and knowledge, the personal and the professional." — Take One Magazine
"An accomplished short film by actress Stephanie Morgenstern, Remembrance is polished, well acted, and well shot... It has the feel of a mini-noir, very well paced, moving and sensual. A jewel." — Voir
"This beautifully shot and acted film offers a perfectly Canadian take on the moral dilemma of war." — Vancouver Sun
"Practically note-perfect in all its elements, with great acting by the two leads, a satisfying and affecting story, and an assured and accomplished visual style... Is there anything these two can't do?" — LIFT Magazine
"A rich-looking period piece. Stephanie Morgenstern, who also directs, gives an enchanting performance." — Eye Magazine
"Remembrance is a jewel of classic narrative style, in which actress Stephanie Morgenstern displays a more certain directing talent than many filmmakers she has acted for." — Ici
"Thoughtful and polished, Morgenstern's short evocatively illustrates the curse of infallible memory on an imperfect being." — CinemaScope
"Remembrance is both a highly intellectual film and a wonderfully sensual one at the same time – an extremely rare combination." — POV: Danish Journal of Film Studies.
awards and distinctions
Genie (Canadian Academy) Award Nominee — Best Live Action Short Film 2002
Best Canadian Short — Sun Life Financial Award
Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival 2002 — (qualifier for Oscar consideration)
Jutra Award (now Prix Iris) — Best Short Film 2002
San Francisco International Film Festival — Certificate of Merit 2002
Chicago International Film Festival — Certificate of Merit 2002
Telluride International Film Festival — Colorado. One of three films selected worldwide for "Great Expectations" program
International Short Film Symposium 2003
University of Aarhus / European Film College — Denmark. One of four films selected worldwide for symposium discussions and profiling in P.O.V. — The Danish Journal of Film Studies (March 2003 issue)
Selected for the Toronto International Film Festival's 'Film Circuit'
FESTIVAL APPEARANCEs
Toronto International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
Festival international nouveau cinéma nouveaux médias de Montréal
Atlantic International Film Festival — Halifax
Rendez-vous du cinéma Québecois — Montréal
Rendez-vous du cinéma Québecois — Québec City
National Screen Institute’s FilmExchange — Winnipeg
Local Heroes Film Festival — Edmonton
Hollywood Women in Filmmaking Festival — Los Angeles
Worldwide Short Film Festival - Toronto
Commonwealth Film Festival — Manchester
Palm Springs International Film Festival — California
Telluride International Film Festival — Colorado
Best of Short Film Festivals — La Ciotat, Sanary-sur-mer, France
St. John's International Women's Film & Video Festival
Calgary International Film Festival
Festival du cinéma indépendant de Némo — France
Also featured twice at the Film Medley / Reel Roundtable, New York City
Toured the US in 2003-2004 with LunaFest