Memory

Filmmaker Vladlena Sandu processes her memories of the war in Chechnya into a documentary. Through a self-built toy theater and autobiographical voice-over, she gives visual form to the violence she experienced as a child. On view at De Balie in Amsterdam. A documentary about war and memory

Filmmaker Vladlena Sandu grew up in Grozny during the First Chechen War. As a child, she witnessed the violence up close. Years later, she returns to those memories, not to forget them, but to understand them. In the documentary Memory, she explores how a child copes with war and what that does to you as an adult.

Toy theater as a storytelling tool

Sandu builds a miniature theater herself using plastic puppets to depict the events of her childhood. This approach makes the documentary unique: gruesome images take on a new form through playful material. Her autobiographical voice-over connects the scenes and gives you access to her inner world.

Personal story with a broader meaning

The film focuses on one person, but touches upon universal questions about trauma, identity, and memory. How do you process what you experienced as a child? And how do you give shape to it? Memory is screening at De Balie in Amsterdam. Are you interested? You can arrange tickets via the booking link.